UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
AT  LOS  ANGELES 


MAINE 


Historical    Memorials 


"Out  of  monuments,  names,  words,  proverbs,  traditions,  private 
records  and  evidences,  fragments  of  stories,  passages  of  books  and  the 
like,    we  doe  save  and  recover  somewhat  from  the  deluge  of  Time." 
LORD  BACON,  Advancement  of  Learning. 


PRINTED  FOR  THE  STATE 
1922 


MAINE 

Historical    Memorials 


"Out  of  monuments,  names,  words,  proverbs,  traditions,  private 
records  and  evidences,  fragments  of  stories,  passages  of  books  and  the 
like,  we  doe  save  and  recover  somewhat  from  the  deluge  of  Time." 

BACON,  Advance  of  Learing. 


PRINTED  FOR  THE  STATE 
1922 


F  "i.  0 


CONTENTS. 


Four  Papers  by  Henry  S.  Burrage,  D.  D.,  L,L.  D.,  State 
Historian: 

PAGE. 

I.    A  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  CASE  IN  MAINE.  .          l 

II.    JAMES  RUSSELL   LOWELL'S  Two  VISITS  TO 

PORTLAND  IN  1857,  .  .  .29 

III.  JAMES  PHINNEY  BAXTER,        .  .  .67 

IV.  FRANKLIN  SIMMONS,  SCULPTOR,          .  .       109 


Two  Papers  at  the  Centennial  of   the  Maine  Historical 

Society,  April  11,  1922: 

PAGE. 

I.  THE  MAINE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  IN  BRUNS- 
WICK, by  Kenneth  C.  M.  Sills,  LL.  D., 
President  of  Bowdoin  College.  .  .  149 

II.  THE  MAINE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY  AT  PORT- 
LAND, by  Hon.  Augustus  F.  Moulton,  of 
Portland,  .  .  .  .  .175 


M  f  v' 

LU 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


To  FACE  PAGK 

Robert  P.  Dunlap,       .....  2 

Edward  Kent,  .....         14 

John  Fairfield,  .  .  .  .  .22 

Mrs.  James  Russell  Lowell,    .  .  .  .50 

Mrs.  Lowell's  Memorial  in  Kensal  Green  Cemetery, 

London,    .  .  .  .  .  .62 

Memorial  of  John  Lothrop  Motley  and  Mrs.  Motley 

in  Kensal  Green  Cemetery,  London,        .  .         64 

James  Phinney  Baxter,  .  .  .  .67 

Franklin  Simmons,      .....        109 


FOREWORD. 

The  preparation  of  the  first  of  the  papers  in  this  volume 
had  its  suggestion  in  a  remark  made  to  the  writer  July  6, 
1905,  when  the  Maine  Historical  Society  and  its  many 
guests  were  on  their  way  down  the  St.  George's  River 
from  Thomaston  to  St.  George's  harbor  in  the  revenue 
cutter  Woodbury  to  celebrate  the  three  hundredth  anniver- 
sary of  George  Waymouth's  memorable  visit  to  the  coast 
of  Maine  in  1605.  The  gentleman  who  made  the  remark 
called  my  attention  to  a  house  on  the  Gushing  side  of  the 
river  as  once  the  home  of  Edward  Kelleran,  who,  as  mate 
of  a  Maine  schooner  at  the  time  of  the  anti-slavery  agita- 
tion preceding  the  Civil  War,  was  wanted  in  Georgia  as  "a 
fugitive  from  justice"  in  a  runaway  slave  case.  What  was 
said  concerning  the  affair  awakened  a  desire  for  fuller 
information.  Inquiries  in  the  office  of  the  secretary  of 
state  at  Augusta  revealed  the  fact  that  no  records  of  the 
case  were  on  file  there.  The  state  librarian,  Mr.  Carver, 
was  without  any  information  concerning  it,  but,  having 
kindly  offered  to  make  a  search  in  my  behalf,  he  was  at 
length  able  to  inform  me  that  he  had  found  an  allusion  to 
the  matter  in  a  message  of  one  of  the  governors  of  Maine 
in  the  period  mentioned.  Following  this  clue  I  was  soon 
able  to  find  other  allusions  having  reference  to  it,  and  at 
length  obtained  the  fuller  information  I  desired.  From 
material  thus  gathered  I  prepared  and  read  the  paper  as 

VII 


now  printed,  except  a  few  pages  at  the  close  added  later 
as  the  facts  came  into  my  possession.  The  tardy  appear- 
ance of  the  paper  was  occasioned  by  an  arrangement  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  about  that  time,  by  which  the 
publication  of  the  society's  "Collections"  was  suspended 
in  order  to  hasten  the  publication  of  the  important  Baxter 
Manuscripts,  which  had  come  into  the  possession  of  the 
society.  In  the  preparation  of  the  paper  I  received  cordial 
assistance  from  Hon.  William  Cobb,  governor  of  Maine, 
and  Professor  J.  Franklin  Jameson  of  the  Carnegie  Institu- 
tion in  Washington.  To  Hon.  George  A.  Emery  of  Saco 
I  was  indebted  for  the  interesting  note  on  pages  21  and  22 
with  reference  to  Governor  Fairfield. 

In  seeking  sources  of  information  with  reference  to  Mrs. 
James  Russell  Lowell,  I  received  much  assistance  from 
Miss  Evelyn  I,.  Gilmore,  the  librarian  of  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society,  and  her  assistant,  Miss  Ethel  P.  Hall.  Mr. 
G.  W.  Wilder,  librarian  of  Bowdoin  College,  also  was 
helpful,  as  was  Professor  George  H.  Whittemore  of  Cam- 
bridge, Mass.  From  Mr.  James  Russell  Lowell  Dunlap 
of  Portland,  Oregon,  a  nephew  of  Mrs.  Lowell,  came  the 
information  I  needed  with  reference  to  the  Dunlap  family. 
Other  sources  of  information  are  indicated  in  the  paper. 
To  the  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston,  Mass.,  I  am 
indebted  not  only  for  material  found  in  Scudder's  Biogra- 
phy of  James  Russell  Lowell,  but  for  a  copy  of  the  fine  like- 
ness of  Mrs.  Lowell  herewith  reproduced. 

The  third  paper  was  prepared  by  request  of  the  Maine 
Historical  Society  at  its  annual  meeting  in  June,  1921.  A 

VIII 


notice  of  this  appointment  came  to  me  soon  after  in  Eng- 
land, but  the  writing  of  the  paper  was  deferred  until  the 
winter  following  my  return.  The  service  to  which  I  was 
called  in  this  way  was  a  welcome  one.  I  had  had  large 
opportunities  of  knowing  Mr.  Baxter  personally.  We 
became  members  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  on  the 
same  day  in  1878,  and  we  were  not  only  intimately  asso- 
ciated in  the  work  of  the  society  in  that  early  period,  but 
in  other  relations,  social  and  civic.  When  I  first  knew 
him,  however,  he  had  not  only  already  brought  his  busi- 
ness activities  to  a  close,  but  was  ready,  in  the  full  vigor  of 
life,  for  new  activities  having  reference  to  the  history  and 
advancing  honor  of  his  native  state,  and  to  the  improve- 
ment and  adornment  of  the  beautiful  city  in  which  he 
lived.  With  what  high  hopes  and  purposes  he  wrought, 
abundant  in  labors  continued  into  a  ripe  old  age,  I  have 
aimed  to  indicate  in  my  narration.  My  thanks  are  due  to 
Hon.  Percival  P.  Baxter,  governor  of  Maine,  for  the  use 
of  the  fine  photograph  of  his  father  from  which  the  print, 
facing  the  opening  page  of  this  paper,  was  prepared. 

My  interest  in  Mr.  Franklin  Simmons  was  awakened  on 
seeing  his  marble  statue  of  Roger  Williams  shortly  after  it 
was  placed  in  the  National  Statuary  Hall  in  the  capitol  at 
Washington.  A  little  later  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting 
the  sculptor  in  Portland,  and  of  securing  from  him  for 
Colby  College,  Waterville,  a  gift  of  the  original  model  of 
his  Roger  Williams.  This  led  to  correspondence  and  to 
added  interest  in  Mr.  Simmons'  work,  especially  in  con- 
nection with  his  statue  of  Longfellow  in  Portland.  After 

IX 


the  sculptor's  death,  I  was  interested  with  Judge  Symonds 
in  Mr.  Simmons'  bequest  to  the  city  of  Portland.  During 
the  past  winter,  while  I  was  at  work  on  the  Baxter  memo- 
rial, I  had  my  first  view  of  the  collection  of  statuary  in  the 
Portland  Society  of  Art,  known  as  the  "Franklin  Simmons 
Memorial."  This  led  to  a  purpose  having  reference  to  the 
preparation  of  a  paper  on  Mr.  Simmons  for  the  Maine 
Historical  Society.  In  it,  as  in  the  preceding  paper,  I 
received  helpful  assistance  from  the  Maine  Historical  Soci- 
ety's librarian  and  her  assistant.  The  Lewiston  Journal 
placed  in  my  hands  a  large  collection  of  clippings  from  its 
columns  relating  to  Mr.  Simmons.  Added  assistance  was 
received  from  the  librarian  of  the  Patten  Free  Library  of 
Bath,  the  Lewiston  Public  Library,  the  Portland  Public 
Library  and  the  State  Library.  From  Mr.  Stuart  Symonds 
of  Portland  I  have  had  the  valuable  assistance  of  his 
father's  correspondence  with  Mr.  Simmons,  continued 
through  many  years  and  chronologically  arranged.  In 
all  matters  relating  to  Mr.  Simmons'  gift  to  the  city  of 
Portland,  and  its  transfer  to  the  Portland  Society  of  Art,  I 
am  indebted  to  Hon.  Carroll  S.  Chaplin,  mayor  of  Port- 
land, but  the  city  solicitor  at  the  time  of  Mr.  Simmons' 
death.  Because  of  Mr.  Simmons'  bequest  to  Portland,  Mr. 
Chaplin  was  made  one  of  the  executors  of  the  sculptor's 
will.  Italy's  connection  with  the  World  War  interfered 
with  the  settlement  of  the  estate.  On  account  of  the  death 
of  Hon.  Augustine  Simmons,  the  associate  executor,  the 
management  of  the  estate  devolved  largely  upon  Mr. 
Chaplin.  Notes  carefully  prepared  by  him  relating  to  this 


valuable  service  in  the  city's  behalf,  both  at  Rome  (which 
was  visited  by  Mr.  Chaplin)  and  after  the  arrival  of  the 
Simmons  statuary  in  Portland,  were  kindly  placed  in  my 
hands  and  were  used  in  the  preparation  of  my  paper. 
Also  to  Mr.  Chaplin  I  am  indebted  for  the  use  of  a  photo- 
graph of  Mr.  Simmons  from  which  the  excellent  likeness 
of  the  sculptor  was  secured  for  these  pages. 

To  the  Marks  Printing  House,  Portland,  I  am  also 
greatly  indebted  for  excellent  workmanship  in  all  the 
various  details  connected  with  such  a  publication. 

Kennebunkport,  Maine,  July  20,  1922. 


XI 


A  FUGITIVE  SLAVE  CASE  IN  MAINE. 

1837-1841. 

Read  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  Nov.  23,  1905. 


Early  in  May,  1837,  the  schooner  Susan,  Daniel 
Philbrook,  of  Camden,  Maine,  master,  and  Edward 
Kelleran,  of  Gushing,  Maine,  mate,  was  in  the  har- 
bor of  Savannah,  Georgia.  During  her  stay  at 
Savannah  some  repairs  were  made  on  the  schooner. 
Atticus,  one  of  the  laborers  engaged  in  this  service, 
was  a  slave,  twenty-two  years  of  age.  Evidently  he 
had  learned  that  there  were  no  slaves  in  the  North, 
and  in  the  hope  of  improving  his  condition  he  con- 
cealed himself  in  the  hold  of  the  vessel  before  the 
Susan  sailed,  without  disclosing  his  purpose  to  any 
of  the  officers  and  crew,  so  far  as  is  known.  On 
her  return  voyage  to  Maine,  the  vessel  sailed  from 
Savannah  on  or  about  May  4th.  Not  until  several 
days  afterward,  when  the  vessel  was  far  on  her  way 
northward,  was  the  presence  of  Atticus  made  known 
or  discovered. 

The  owners  of  the  slave  were  James  and  Henry 
Sagurs,  of  Chatham  County,  Georgia ;  and  when 
the  slave  was  missed,  conjecturing  that  he  had  made 
his  escape  on  the  Susan,  they  hired  a  pilot  boat  and 
gave  chase,  hoping  to  overtake  the  schooner  while 

l 


still  at  sea,  but  the  hope  was  not  fulfilled.  It  is 
thought  that  the  Susan  arrived  at  Thomaston,  Maine, 
on  the  Qth  or  loth  of  May.  Those  who  were  in  pur- 
suit came  into  the  harbor  at  Rockland,  then  East 
Thomaston,  a  day  or  two  later.  After  some  diffi- 
culty and  delay,  Mr.  James  Sagurs  obtained  from 
H.  C.  Lowell,  Esq.,  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of 
Atticus  as  a  fugitive  slave.  The  officer  in  whose 
hands  the  warrant  was  placed  failed  to  find  Atticus, 
probably  not  exerting  himself  to  any  great  extent 
in  the  search,  influenced  by  the  state  of  feeling  with 
reference  to  African  slavery  then  existing  in  the 
North.  Mr.  Sagurs  offered  a  reward  of  twenty 
dollars  for  the  apprehension  of  his  slave  and  his 
delivery  to  his  masters.  For  this  sum  two  men, 
under  the  pretense  of  befriending  Atticus  it  is  said, 
induced  him  to  take  refuge  in  Swan's  barn  (a  barn 
on  the  General  Knox  estate  in  Thomaston).  There 
Mr.  Sagurs,  on  the  information  he  had  received, 
obtained  possession  of  his  slave.  In  his  removal 
the  people  of  Thomaston  placed  no  obstacle  in  the 
way  of  the  master ;  but  at  East  Thomaston,  where 
the  embarkation  took  place,  there  were  strong  dem- 
onstrations of  indignation.  Atticus,  however,  was 
safely  placed  on  board  of  the  pilot  boat  in  which 
Mr.  Sagurs  had  made  his  way  to  Maine,  and  the 
slave  was  taken  back  to  Savannah. 

But  the  story  does  not  end  with   the  return   of 
the  fugitive.     June  16,   1837,  James  Sagurs   went 

2 


ROHKRT  P.  DUXI.AP. 


before  a  magistrate  of  Chatham  County  and  brought 
against  Philbrook  and  Kelleran  (the  master  and 
mate  of  the  vessel  on  which  Atticus  had  made  his 
escape)  a  charge  that  on  or  about  the  4th  day  of 
May,  1837,  they  did  "feloniously  inveigle,  steal,  take 
and  carry  away,  without  the  limits  of  the  state  of 
Georgia,  a  negro  man  slave  named  Atticus" ;  and 
Mr.  Sagurs  asked  that  a  warrant  should  be  issued 
against  the  said  master  and  mate,  in  order  that  they 
might  be  dealt  with  according  to  the  law  in  such 
cases  provided.  The  magistrate  responded  favor- 
ably, and  on  the  same  date  he  issued  his  warrant 
for  the  arrest  of  Philbrook  and  Kelleran.  On  the 
same  day,  also,  the  magistrate  was  informed  by  the 
officer  in  whose  hands  the  warrant  was  placed  that 
Philbrook  and  Kelleran  could  not  be  found. 

On  the  2ist  of  June,  Hon.  William  Schley,  gov- 
ernor of  Georgia,  addressed  a  letter  to  Governor 
Dunlap,  of  Maine,  alleging  that  Philbrook  and 
Kelleran  were  "fugitives  from  justice,"  and,  inclos- 
ing a  copy  of  an  affidavit  made  by  James  Sagurs 
June  1 6th,  before  the  magistrate  mentioned  above, 
added  that  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  an 
act  of  Congress,  passed  February  12,  1793,  "respect- 
ing fugitives  from  justice,"  etc.,  he  had  appointed 
an  agent  on  the  part  of  the  state  of  Georgia  to 
receive  and  convey  the  fugitives  to  the  county  of 
Chatham  in  that  state,  "to  be  tried  for  the  offense 
with  which  they  stand  charged."  The  letter  closed 

3 


with  these  words:  "Your  Excellency  will,  there- 
fore, be  pleased  to  consider  this  my  demand,  under 
said  statute,  for  the  said  Daniel  Philbrook  and 
Edward  Kelleran,  and  to  order  their  arrest,  if  to  be 
found  in  the  state  over  which  you  preside,  and  cause 
them  to  be  delivered  to  Mordecai  Sheftall,  Jun.,  the 
authorized  agent  of  this  state  for  the  above  purpose." 

Governor  Dunlap,  August  16,  1837,  acknowl- 
edged the  receipt  of  this  communication,  but  de- 
clined to  accede  to  the  demand  made  upon  him  by 
the  governor  of  Georgia.  One  of  the  causes  of  the 
proposed  arrest,  he  said,  was  that  Philbrook  and 
Kelleran  were  guilty  of  a  felony  under  the  laws  of 
Georgia.  The  charge,  the  governor  continued,  is 
indefinite.  "In  what  acts  the  supposed  felony  con- 
sisted, whether  they  were  acts  aimed  at  the  subver- 
sion of  the  government,  or  affecting  the  life,  liberty 
or  property  of  individual  citizens,  and  when,  where, 
or  by  what  instrumentality  committed,  is  not  inti- 
mated." Moreover,  the  allegation  was  not  sworn  to 
as  true.  It  was  merely  claimed  in  the  affidavit  that 
Mr.  Sagurs  had  been  so  informed  and  believed  the 
information  to  be  true. 

But  it  was  also  alleged  that  the  said  Philbrook 
and  Kelleran,  as  the  deponent  believed,  did  feloni- 
ously inveigle,  steal,  take  and  carry  away,  without 
the  limits  of  the  state  of  Georgia,  a  negro  slave. 
Governor  Dunlap  admitted  that  such  an  act  if  com- 
mitted was  an  offense  against  the  laws  of  Georgia, 

4 


but  he  insisted  that  the  allegations  of  the  affidavit 
did  not  in  his  judgment  constitute  such  a  charge 
as  would  justify  him  in  surrendering  the  sup- 
posed fugitives.  "By  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,"  said  Governor  Dunlap,  "no  warrant  is  to 
issue,  except  on  probable  cause,  supported  by  oath 
or  affirmation,  and  the  constitution  of  this  state 
furnishes  the  same  protection  to  its  citizens.  In 
the  case  under  consideration,  it  is  not  asserted  that 
there  is  probable  cause,  nor  are  facts  or  circum- 
stances presented  from  which  probable  cause  can 
be  inferred." 

The  question  whether  Messrs.  Philbrook  and 
Kelleran  could  in  any  way  be  viewed  as  "fugitives 
from  justice"  within  the  meaning  of  the  act  of  Con- 
gress cited  by  Governor  Schley,  Governor  Dunlap 
did  not  think  it  necessary  to  consider.  "So  far  as 
I  have  received  any  information  relative  to  Phil- 
brook  and  Kelleran,"  he  wrote,  "their  visit  to  your 
state  was  in  the  course  of  their  ordinary  business, 
as  mariners.  Their  vessel  being  at  the  South,  they 
navigated  it  homeward  by  the  usual  route  and  in 
the  usual  time.  They  had  stated  homes,  to  which 
they  openly  returned.  At  those  homes  they  took 
up  their  residence,  and  conducted  their  affairs  there 
without  concealment,  and  in  all  respects  conform- 
ably to  the  usages  of  innocent  and  unsuspecting 
citizens." 

September  7,  1837,  Governor  Schley  responded 


at  considerable  length  to  Governor  Dunlap's  letter. 
He  objected  to  the  construction  placed  upon  the 
affidavit  of  Mr.  Sagurs.  The  latter  did  not  state 
the  fact  of  stealing  upon  his  belief,  but  insisted  that 
the  persons  charged  with  being  fugitives  from  jus- 
tice were  the  master  and  mate  of  the  schooner 
Susan.  The  affidavit  stated  positively  that  "Daniel 
Philbrook  and  Edward  Kelleran  did  on  or  about 
the  4th.  day  of  May  last,  feloniously  inveigle,  steal, 
take  and  carry  away,  without  the  limits  of  Georgia, 
a  negro  man  slave  named  Atticus."  The  governor 
claimed,  accordingly,  that  the  fact  Governor  Dunlap 
desired  to  have,  in  order  to  draw  his  own  conclu- 
sions relative  to  the  character  and  criminality  of 
the  offense  committed  by  Daniel  Philbrook  and 
Edward  Kelleran,  had  been  distinctly  and  positively 
sworn  to  in  the  affidavit. 

Governor  Schley  also  questioned  the  right  of  the 
governor  of  Maine  to  decide  with  reference  to  the 
sufficiency  of  the  affidavit,  the  nature  and  extent  of 
the  crime,  or  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  persons 
charged.  "These,"  he  said,  "are  the  province  of  a 
court  and  jury  of  the  county  of  Chatham,  in  the 
state  of  Georgia" ;  and  he  cited  an  act  of  Congress 
(second  volume  of  the  Laws  of  the  United  States, 
page  165),  "that  whenever  the  executive  authority 
of  any  state  in  the  Union,  &c.,  shall  demand  any 
person  as  a  fugitive  from  justice,  of  the  executive 
authority  of  any  such  state  or  territory  to  which 

6 


such  person  shall  have  fled,  and  shall  moreover  pro- 
duce the  copy  of  an  indictment  found  or  an  affidavit 
made  before  a  magistrate  of  any  state  or  territory 
as  aforesaid,  charging  the  person  so  demanded  with 
having  committed  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime, 
certified  as  authentic  by  the  governor  or  chief  mag- 
istrate of  the  state  or  territory  from  which  the  per- 
son so  charged  fled,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
executive  authority  of  the  state  or  territory  to  which 
such  person  shall  have  fled,  to  cause  him  or  her  to 
be  arrested,"  etc.  The  only  question  which  it  was 
competent  for  Governor  Dunlap  to  decide,  there- 
fore, was,  has  the  governor  of  Georgia  transmitted 
the  copy  of  an  affidavit  charging  Daniel  Philbrook 
and  Edward  Kelleran  with  "treason,  felony  or  other 
crime"  ?  This,  he  said,  Governor  Dunlap  had  ad- 
mitted; but  inasmuch  as  the  governor  had  con- 
tended that  "felony  is  a  generic  term  embracing 
many  descriptions  of  crime"  and  claimed  that  Mr. 
Sagurs  in  his  affidavit  should  have  stated  "the  act 
committed,"  Governor  Schley  reminded  Governor 
Dunlap  that  in  the  Penal  Code  of  the  state  of 
Georgia  all  crimes  inducing  penitentiary  punish- 
ment come  under  the  definition  of  the  term  "felony," 
and  that  the  stealing  of  a  slave  subjected  the  offender 
to  such  punishment,  the  2Oth  section  of  the  6th 
division  of  the  Penal  Code  being  as  follows :  "The 
stealing  of  a  slave  is  simple  larceny,  and  shall  be 
punished  by  imprisonment  and  hard  labor  in  the 

7 


penitentiary  for  any  time  not  less  than  four  years, 
nor  longer  than  ten  years." 

Governor  Schley  closed  his  letter  with  a  consid- 
eration of  the  affair  from  what  he  called  a  political 
and  international  point  of  view.     The  constitution 
of  the  United  States,  he  said,  was  the  result  of  a 
compromise  between  states  having  different,  and, 
in  some  respects,  antagonistic  interests  and  views. 
"Subjects  constituting  property  in  one  state  ceased 
to  be  of  that  character  when  removed  to  other  sec- 
tions of   the  confederacy — and  acts  which  consti- 
tuted   crimes   in   one   state   were   not   considered 
criminal  in  others.     Under  this  state  of  things,  no 
union,  under  a  general  government,  could  be  formed 
until  all  the  states  agreed  that  the  laws  of   each 
should  be  respected,  and  that  persons  charged  with 
offenses  against  the  laws  of  one  state  escaping  into 
another  should   be  delivered  to  the  authorities  of 
the  offended  state  without  inquiring  into  the  justice 
or  propriety  of   the  laws  said  to  be  violated.     In 
pursuance  of  this  compromise,  the  following  clause, 
the  governor  claimed,  was  inserted  in  the  constitu- 
tion :     'A  person  charged  in  any  state  with  treason, 
felony,  or  other  crime,  who  shall  flee  from  justice 
and  be  found  in  another  state,  shall,  on  demand  of 
the  executive  authority  of  the  state  from  which  he 
fled,  be  delivered  up  to  be  removed  to  the  state  hav- 
ing jurisdiction  of  the  crime.'    .    .    .    Will  the  state 
of  Maine,  under  such  circumstances  and  in  Taola- 

8 


tion  of  her  duty  to  a  sister  state,  persist  in  refusing 
to  obey  the  constitution  and  the  law  of  the  United 
States?" 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Legislature  of  Georgia 
in  December,  1837,  the  governor  of  Georgia  laid 
before  that  body  his  correspondence  with  the  gov- 
ernor of  Maine  in  reference  to  this  case ;  and  the 
correspondence,  with  so  much  of  the  message  of  the 
governor  of  Georgia  as  related  to  it,  was  referred 
to  a  joint  committee  on  the  state  of  the  Republic. 
The  report  of  this  committee,  which  was  adopted 
by  the  House  of  Representatives  on  the  22nd  of 
December,  and  by  the  Senate  on  the  25th  of  De- 
cember, 1837,  received  the  approval  of  the  gover- 
nor on  the  same  day  on  which  action  in  the  Senate 
was  taken.  The  report  declared  the  reasoning  of 
Governor  Dunlap,  in  his  letter  to  Governor  Schley, 
to  be  "entirely  fallacious,  and  evasive  of  the  true 
question  at  issue" ;  adding  that  if  the  governor  of 
Maine  was  not  disposed  to  comply  with  the  demand 
made  in  Governor  Schley's  first  letter,  he  should 
have  complied  on  the  reception  of  the  second  letter. 
To  that  second  letter  no  answer  had  been  received. 
"Compelled,  therefore,  from  all  these  circumstances 
to  believe  that  the  constituted  authorities  of  Maine 
do  not  mean  to  comply  with  the  laws  and  constitu- 
tion of  the  country,  but  in  total  disregard  of  both 
to  treat  with  contempt  the  just  demands  of  Georgia, 


all  that  remains  for  your  committee  to  perform,  is, 
to  suggest  the  remedy." 

This  the  committee  found  a  difficult  task  evi- 
dently. They  could  not  close  the  ports  of  Georgia 
against  the  vessels  of  Maine,  for  that  would  be 
unconstitutional.  So,  also,  it  would  be  unconstitu- 
tional to  declare  non-intercourse  with  the  people  of 
Maine.  To  seize  upon  the  persons  of  her  citizens 
as  hostages,  or  to  levy  upon  their  property  found  in 
the  state  of  Georgia  by  way  of  reprisal,  would  also 
be  unconstitutional.  Though  strongly  disposed  to 
recommend  the  passage  of  a  law  imposing  a  quar- 
antine upon  all  vessels  coming  from  Maine  into  the 
waters  of  the  state  of  Georgia,  and  "in  consequence 
of  viewing  the  doctrine  of  abolition  as  a  moral  and 
political  pestilence,  which  if  not  checked  will  spread 
devastation  and  ruin  over  the  land,"  the  committee 
forbearingly  refrained,  and  recommended  the  adop- 
tion of  the  following  resolutions: 

"Be  it  therefore  unanimously  resolved  by  the 
Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  state 
of  Georgia  in  General  Assembly  met,  That  the 
refusal  on  the  part  of  the  governor  of  Maine  to 
deliver  up,  or  cause  to  be  delivered  up,  upon  the 
demand  of  the  governor  of  this  state,  Daniel  Phil- 
brook  and  Edward  Kelleran,  who  stand  charged 
with  the  commission  of  a  crime  against  the  laws  of 
this  state,  and  have  fled  therefrom,  is  not  only  dan- 
gerous to  the  rights  of  the  people  of  Georgia  but 

10 


clearly  and  directly  in  violation  of  the  plain  letter 
of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  which  is  in 
the  following  words,  to  wit :  'A  person  charged  in 
any  state  with  treason,  felony,  or  other  crime,  who 
shall  flee  from  justice,  and  be  found  in  another  state, 
shall,  on  demand  of  the  executive  authority  of  the 
state  from  which  he  fled,  be  delivered  up,  to  be 
removed  to  the  state  having  jurisdiction  of  the 
crime.' 

"Be  it  further  unanimously  resolved,  That  the 
state  of  Georgia,  and  each  of  the  other  members  of 
this  confederacy,  by  the  adoption  of  the  Federal 
Constitution,  became  a  party  thereto,  no  less  for  the 
better  protection  of  her  own  than  the  common  rights 
and  interests  of  all — and  when  these  ends  cease  to 
be  attained,  by  the  faithlessness  of  any  to  the  consti- 
tutional engagement,  she  is  no  longer  bound  by  any 
obligations  to  the  common  compact;  and  it  then 
becomes  not  only  her  right,  but  her  duty,  para- 
mount to  all  others,  to  seek  and  provide  protection 
for  her  own  people  in  her  own  way. 

"And  be  it  further  unanimously  resolved,  That 
so  soon  as  a  bill  of  indictment  shall  be  found  true, 
in  the  Superior  Court  of  Chatham  County,  against 
the  said  Daniel  Philbrook  and  Edward  Kelleran  for 
the  offense  aforesaid,  the  executive  of  Georgia  be 
requested  to  make  upon  the  executive  of  Maine  a 
second  demand  for  the  persons  of  the  said  fugitives, 
predicated  upon  said  bill  of  indictment,  and  accom- 

ll 


panied  by  such  evidence  as  is  contemplated  by  the 
act  of  Congress  in  such  cases  made  and  provided. 
"And  be  it  further  unanimously  resolved,  That 
should  the  executive  of  Maine  refuse  to  comply 
with  such  second  demand,  the  executive  of  Georgia 
be  requested  to  transmit  a  copy  of  these  resolutions 
to  the  executive  of  each  state  in  the  Union,  to  be 
presented  to  their  several  Legislatures;  and  also  a 
copy  to  the  president  of  the  United  States,  and  to 
our  senators  and  representatives  in  Congress,  to 
be  laid  before  that  body.  And  should  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Maine,  at  its  session  next  after  the  said 
resolutions  shall  have  been  forwarded  to  the  execu- 
tive of  that  state,  neglect  to  redress  the  grievance 
herein  before  set  forth,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
executive  of  Georgia  to  announce  the  same  by  proc- 
lamation, and  call  upon  the  people  of  the  several 
counties,  on  a  day  in  said  proclamation  to  be  named, 
to  elect,  under  like  restrictions  and  regulations  as 
in  the  election  of  members  to  the  Legislature,  a 
number  of  delegates  equal  to  the  number  of  sena- 
tors and  representatives  to  which  they  may  be 
entitled  in  the  General  Assembly,  to  meet  in  con- 
vention at  the  seat  of  government,  on  a  day  to  be 
fixed  in  said  proclamation,  to  take  into  considera- 
tion the  state  of  the  Commonwealth  of  Georgia,  and 
to  devise  the  course  of  her  future  policy,  and  pro- 
vide all  necessary  safeguards  for  the  protection  of 
the  rights  of  her  people." 

12 


This  action  of  the  Legislature  of  Georgia,  so 
clearly  set  forth  that  its  meaning  could  not  be 
mistaken,  awakened  added  interest  in  the  case 
throughout  the  state  and  even  beyond  its  borders, 
and  foreshadowed  the  great  issue  which  was  finally 
settled  upon  the  many  bloody  battlefields  of  the 
Civil  War. 

Hon.  George  R.  Gilmer  succeeded  Hon.  William 
Schley  as  governor  of  Georgia,  and  April  27,  1838, 
he  wrote  to  Governor  Kent,  of  Maine,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Governor  Dunlap,  and  reopened  the  case, 
demanding  the  arrest  of  Daniel  Philbrook  and 
Edward  Kelleran  as  "fugitives  from  justice,"  inclos- 
ing a  copy  of  a  true  bill  of  indictment  found  against 
them  by  the  Grand  Jury  of  the  Supreme  Court  of 
Chatham  County,  Georgia,  and  announcing  the 
appointment  of  George  G.  Miller,  Esq.,  as  agent  on 
the  part  of  the  state  to  receive  and  convey  Daniel 
Philbrook  and  Edward  Kelleran  to  the  county  of 
Chatham,  "to  be  tried  for  the  offense  with  which 
they  stand  charged."  In  the  indictment  Philbrook 
and  Kelleran  were  charged  with  "simple  larceny"  in 
"wrongfully,  fraudulently  and  feloniously"  stealing 
and  carrying  away  a  man  slave  named  Atticus  of 
the  value  of  six  hundred  dollars,  with  the  "inten- 
tion to  sell  the  said  negro  man  slave  named  Atticus 
and  otherwise  to  appropriate  the  said  negro  man 
slave  named  Atticus  to  their  own  use  and  to  the 


13 


use  of  other  persons."     There  were  four  counts  in 
the  indictment. 

This  requisition,  with  the  certified  copy  of  the 
indictment,  etc.,  was  followed  by  a  letter  from 
Governor  Gilmer,  dated  Milledgeville,  Ga.,  May  2, 
1838.  In  it  the  governor  stated  that  Governor 
Dunlap  had  declined  to  answer  a  demand  made 
upon  him  for  the  arrest  and  delivery  of  Philbrook 
and  Kelleran  on  the  ground  that  the  affidavit,  upon 
which  the  demand  was  made,  was  not  sufficiently 
positive  in  charging  that  the  criminal  acts  alleged 
against  them  were  committed  by  "fugitives  from 
justice";  and  also  as  uncertain  in  the  description 
of  the  crime.  The  new  indictment  was  for  the 
purpose  of  removing  these  objections.  But  the 
demand,  which  evidently  was  made  on  the  ground 
of  this  indictment,  had  another  end  in  view  than  to 
arrest  and  bring  back  to  Georgia  these  two  citizens 
of  Maine.  In  fact,  there  was  no  proof  whatever 
that  Philbrook  and  Kelleran,  either  by  enticement 
or  by  any  other  means,  "feloniously,  wrongfully  and 
fraudulently"  induced  the  slave  Atticus  to  leave  his 
owners.  On  the  contrary,  both  the  master  and 
mate  claimed,  according  to  Governor  Kent,  that 
they  did  not  know  the  negro  was  on  board  of  their 
vessel  until  several  days  had  elapsed  after  they  left 
the  port  of  Savannah.  This  added  reason  for  the 
demand  appears  in  the  following  extract  from  Gov- 
ernor Gilmer's  letter  of  May  2nd: 

14 


GOVERNOR  EDWARD  KENT. 


"The  present  demand  has  been  made  because  the 
rights  of  property,  the  peace,  prosperity  and  enjoy- 
ment of  individuals,  and  our  whole  community 
require  that  there  should  be  no  uncertainty  whether 
this  state  can,  through  the  assistance  of  the  author- 
ities of  the  state,  to  which  such  criminals  may 
escape,  punish  the  citizens  of  other  states,  who  may 
violate  the  rights  of  property  in  slaves  within  its 
jurisdiction  by  the  commission  of  such  acts  as,  by 
the  laws  of  the  state,  are  made  crimes.  As  long  as 
the  relations  between  the  states,  created  by  the 
constitution,  continue  to  exist,  it  would  seem  to  be 
wholly  unnecessary  to  discuss  the  force  of  the  obli- 
gations upon  each  state  to  perform  the  duties  aris- 
ing from  the  Union.  Philbrook  and  Kelleran,  while 
they  were  within  the  limits  of  Georgia,  committed 
acts,  defined  by  its  legislative  authority  to  be 
crimes.  They  avoided  punishment  by  taking  ref- 
uge within  the  limits  of  the  state  of  Maine.  A 
demand  is  now  made  by  the  executive  authority  of 
Georgia,  upon  the  governor  of  Maine,  for  the  arrest 
and  delivery  of  these  persons  to  the  agent  of  Geor- 
gia, in  the  form,  and  upon  the  evidence  required  by 
the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  in  conformity 
with  the  principles  of  the  constitution.  Upon  these 
facts  the  authorities  of  the  state  of  Maine  must  de- 
termine whether  Georgia  shall  have  their  assistance 
in  exercising  the  power  secured  to  her  by  the  con- 


15 


stitution  and  laws  of  the  United  States  in  protect- 
ing her  own  institutions." 

Governor  Kent  replied  to  Governor  Gilmer  June 
25, 1838.  He  admitted  that  when  a  case  is  made  out 
within  the  meaning  of  the  constitution,  it  was  his 
duty,  as  the  executive  officer  of  the  state,  to  comply 
with  the  requisition.  But  he  must  be  satisfied  that 
the  case  presented  comes  within  the  language  and 
intention  of  the  constitution.  "Whenever  a  citizen 
of  his  state  is  demanded  as  a  fugitive  from  justice  to 
be  delivered  up  to  be  transported  to  a  foreign  tribu- 
nal, to  be  tried  before  unknown  judges,  away  from 
his  friends  and  his  home,  for  a  crime,  the  punish- 
ment of  which  is  extremely  severe,  and  when  this 
demand  is  urged  as  a  right,  and  not  asked  as  a 
favor,  it  surely  cannot  be  deemed  improper  for  the 
executive,  upon  whom  the  demand  is  made,  to 
require  evidence  of  every  constitutional  condition 
before  yielding  up  a  citizen  of  the  state  over  which 
he  presides."  Now  the  indictment  presented  against 
Philbrook  and  Kelleran  furnished  evidence,  he 
added,  that  they  had  been  charged  with  crime  in 
another  state,  but  it  did  not  furnish  evidence  that 
these  men  were  or  had  been  "fugitives  from  justice" 
as  charged.  Such  evidence  must  be  presented. 
The  constitution  as  clearly  requires  that  the  person 
should  be  a  fugitive,  as  that  he  should  be  charged 
with  a  crime.  There  must  be  evidence  of  some 
manifest  design  to  avoid  the  process  of  law.  Gov- 

16 


ernor  Kent  cited  the  statute  of  Maine  on  the  sub- 
ject in  support  of  his  view  "that  when  a  demand 
shall  be  made  upon  the  executive  authority  of  this 
state  by  the  executive  of  any  other  state  in  any 
case  authorized  by  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the 
United  States,  for  the  delivery  over  of  any  fugitive 
from  justice,  charged  in  such  state  with  treason, 
felony,  or  other  crime,  and  the  governor  shall  be 
satisfied,  on  investigation  of  the  grounds  of  such 
demand,  that  the  same  is  made  conformable  to 
law,  and  ought  to  be  complied  with,  he  shall  issue 
his  warrant  under  the  seal  of  the  state,  authorizing 
the  agent,  who  may  make  such  demands,  either 
forthwith,  or  at  such  time  as  shall  be  designated  in 
the  warrant,  to  take  and  transport  such  person  to 
the  line  of  this  state  at  the  expense  of  such  agent, 
and  shall  also,  by  such  warrant,  require  the  civil 
officers  within  this  state  to  afford  all  needful  assist- 
ance in  the  execution  thereof." 

Finding,  therefore,  in  the  papers  submitted  to 
him  by  the  governor  of  Georgia  no  evidence  estab- 
lishing the  claim  that  Philbrook  and  Kelleran  were 
"fugitives  from  the  justice  of  Georgia,"  and  nothing 
which  invalidated  the  allegation  made  by  them  that 
they  were  not  such  fugitives,  Governor  Kent  de- 
clined to  accede  to  Governor  Gilmer's  demand. 
His  decision,  however,  he  claimed  had  no  reference 
"to  the  nature  of  the  property  alleged  to  have  been 
stolen,  or  to  the  peculiar  relations  existing"  in  the 

2  17 


state  of  Georgia,  "and  which  in  some  degree  are 
connected  with  this  question."  In  other  words,  he 
placed  the  case  upon  the  sole  ground  of  the  fair 
construction  of  the  constitution. 

On  the  23rd  of  August,  1838,  Governor  Gilmer 
replied  to  Governor  Kent's  letter.  To  him  the  let- 
ter did  not  furnish  any  sufficient  justification  for 
this  "determined  denial"  to  deliver  Philbrook  and 
Kelleran  to  the  authorities  of  Georgia ;  and  Gov- 
ernor Gilmer  proceeded  to  re-argue  the  case.  "The 
equality  of  the  privileges  and  immunities  secured 
by  the  constitution  to  the  citizens  of  each  state  in 
the  several  states,"  he  said — "the  identity  of  the  lan- 
guage, habits,  pursuits  and  feelings  of  the  people 
throughout  the  Union, — and  the  similarity  of  the 
form  of  government,  and  the  public  institutions  of 
the  several  states,  enable  the  offenders  against  the 
laws  to  pass  from  one  state  into  another,  without 
sacrifice  or  difficulty.  Unless,  therefore,  the  gov- 
ernors of  the  several  states  deliver  up  upon  demand 
all  within  their  jurisdiction,  who  are  charged  with 
the  commission  of  crimes  in  other  states  with  the 
same  certainty  that  criminals  are  arrested  by  the 
officers  of  justice  within  the  jurisdiction  where  their 
offenses  were  committed,  the  people  of  this  country 
have  no  sufficient  security  for  the  protection  of 
their  rights,  against  the  facility  with  which  offend- 
ers can  escape  from  the  jurisdiction  where  alone 
they  can  be  tried,  and  our  form  of  government  will 

18 


have  failed  in  providing  for  the  performance  of  one 
of  its  most  important  functions,  the  certain  punish- 
ment of  crimes."  But  the  governor  was  aware  of 
the  fact  that  the  constitution  of  the  United  States 
reads,  "a  person  charged  in  any  state  with  treason, 
felony,  or  other  crime,  who  shall  flee  from  justice," 
etc.,  shall  be  delivered  up,  and  that  Governor  Kent, 
denying  that  Philbrook  and  Kelleran  were  fugitives 
from  justice,  justified  his  refusal  to  deliver  them 
up  on  that  ground.  Governor  Gilmer  accordingly 
returned  to  a  discussion  of  this  point.  Governor 
Kent's  interpretation  of  the  words  "flee  from  jus- 
tice," he  declared,  would  "obviously  tend  to  thwart 
the  purposes  of  the  constitution  by  increasing  the 
difficulty,  if  it  would  not  render  it  impossible  to 
make  demands."  The  arrest  of  fugitives  from  jus- 
tice, he  said,  can  never  be  asked  of  a  governor  as 
a  matter  of  favor,  to  be  granted  according  to  his 
discretion.  It  is  a  matter  of  right,  and  if  accom- 
panied by  the  proofs  required  by  the  law  of  the 
United  States — the  presumption  of  the  law  being, 
if  a  man  is  charged  by  a  true  bill  of  indictment  with 
the  commission  of  a  crime,  that  he  has  fled  from 
justice — the  duty  to  deliver  him  up  is  imperative. 
The  constitution  allows  no  option.  "It  gives  no 
room  for  the  exercise  of  the  will  or  caprice  of  the 
governor,  or  his  yielding  to  public  opinion  or  feel- 
ings around  him."  And  the  governor  closed  his 
letter  with  these  words :  "The  authorities  of  Maine 

19 


cannot  but  be  aware  that  if  public  sentiment  in 
Maine  requires  the  governor  to  protect  persons 
from  punishment  who  take  from  the  citizens  of 
Georgia  their  slave  property,  that  the  authorities 
of  Georgia  must  necessarily  protect  the  rights  of  its 
citizens  from  the  danger  to  which  their  slave  prop- 
erty will  be  thus  exposed  from  mariners  coming 
from  Maine  into  her  ports.  I  shall  not  attempt  to 
trace  out  the  consequence  to  which  such  a  state  of 
things  must  lead.  Those  who  know  how  to  esti- 
mate the  blessings  derived  from  the  Union  need  no 
such  commentary.  And  those  who  think  it  doing 
God  service  to  plunder  us  of  our  slave  property  will 
not  regard  it." 

To  this  communication  Governor  Kent,  Septem- 
ber 26,  1838,  made  a  brief  reply,  acknowledging  the 
receipt  of  Governor  Gilmer's  letter,  also  the  receipt 
of  a  printed  copy  of  the  Report  and  Resolves  of 
the  Georgia  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
adopted  at  its  last  session,  which,  in  compliance 
with  Governor  Gilmer's  request,  he  promised  to  lay 
before  the  Legislature  of  Maine  at  its  next  session. 
This  promise  he  fulfilled.  The  Legislature,  how- 
ever, took  no  action  upon  the  documents  thus  laid 
before  it  except  to  refer  the  whole  matter  to  the 
governor  of  the  state.  Thereupon  the  governor  of 
Georgia,  in  his  annual  message  to  the  Legislature 
of  the  state,  called  attention  to  the  Philbrook 
Kelleran  case  in  these  words : 

20 


"The  conduct  of  the  Legislature  of  Maine,  and 
the  previous  conduct  of  Governor  Dunlap  and  Gov- 
ernor Kent,  prove  conclusively  that  the  opposition 
to  the  institution  of  slavery  is  so  great  among  the 
people  of  that  state,  that  their  public  authorities  are 
prevented  from  obeying  the  injunctions  of  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States  when  required  to 
deliver  up  fugitives  from  justice  charged  with  the 
crime  of  violating  the  rights  of  property  in  slaves. 
This  state,  therefore,  must  protect  by  its  own  author- 
ity the  rights  of  its  citizens  in  slave  property  against 
the  disposition  of  the  people  of  Maine  to  violate 
them.  For  this  purpose  you  will  be  justified  in 
declaring  by  law  that  all  citizens  of  Maine  who  may 
come  within  the  jurisdiction  of  this  state,  on  board 
of  any  vessels,  as  owners,  officers,  or  mariners,  shall 
be  considered  as  doing  so  with  the  intent  to  com- 
mit the  crime  of  seducing  negro  slaves  from  their 
owners,  and  be  dealt  with  accordingly  by  the  officers 
of  justice." 

In  his  annual  message  to  the  Legislature  of 
Maine  in  January,  1840,  Governor  Fairfield,1  who 

1The  late  Hon.  J.  W.  Bradbury,  of  Augusta,  is  authority  for  this 
statement,  that  Governor  Fairfield  in  1844,  then  United  States  Sena- 
tor from  Maine,  was  the  popular  choice  for  second  place  on  the  Dem- 
ocratic ticket  at  the  Baltimore  Convention,  and  would  have  been 
nominated  if  the  presentation  of  his  name  had  not  been  violently 
opposed  by  one  of  the  southern  delegates,  who  objected  to  his  nomi- 
nation on  account  of  the  governor's  attitude  in  the  dispute  between 
Maine  and  Georgia.  So  violent  was  the  attack  of  this  delegate,  and 
so  positive  was  he  of  the  opposition  of  the  South  on  account  of  Gov- 
ernor Fair  field's  connection  with  that  dispute,  that  he  carried  the 

21 


succeeded  Governor  Kent  as  governor  of  Maine, 
referred  to  this  language  of  the  governor  of  Georgia. 
"Coming  to  us  in  a  less  official  character,"  he  said, 
"but  few  I  think  would  regard  this  proposition  as 
serious.  Be  that,  however,  as  it  may,  if  there  was 
the  least  probability  that  such  a  measure  could  suc- 
ceed in  the  Legislature  of  Georgia,  some  counter 
action  on  our  part  might,  perhaps,  be  necessary. 
But  I  am  sure  it  cannot  prevail.  The  proposition 
so  clearly  violates  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  and  is  so  subversive,  not  only  of  the  plainest 
principles  of  law,  but  of  common  sense  and  com- 
mon justice,  that  the  intelligent  Legislature  of  that 
distinguished  and  gallant  state  will  never  sanction 
it.  The  late  governor  and  my  predecessors,  though 
not  agreeing  in  their  construction  of  the  constitu- 
tion in  regard  to  the  relative  rights  and  obligations 
of  the  states,  yet  differ  principally  upon  a  question 
of  fact,  to  wit,  whether  the  persons  demanded  were 
or  were  not  'fugitives  from  justice.'  For  the  deci- 
sion of  this  question  the  constitution  has  established 

convention  in  his  assertion  of  Governor  Fairfield's  unavailability, 
and  Mr.  Dallas,  of  Pennsylvania,  received  the  nomination.  Senator 
Fairfield  wrote  to  his  wife  in  Saco,  May  30,  1844,  as  follows:  "To 
my  astonishment  I  received  yesterday  in  the  Baltimore  Convention 
the  highest  vote  for  vice  president  on  the  first  trial,  but  not  a 
majority.  I  had  nine  states,  to  wit,  Maine,  Massachusetts,  Vermont, 
Rhode  Island,  New  York,  Indiana,  Illinois,  Kentucky  and  Missouri, 
making  a  hundred  and  six  votes.  I  am  informed  I  should  have  been 
nominated  on  the  second  ballot  if  it  had  not  been  thought  that  my 
course  when  governor  in  the  controversy  between  Maine  and  Georgia, 
and  my  views  on  the  treaty,  would  operate  against  me  in  the  South." 

22 


GOVERNOR  F  AIRFIELD. 


no  tribunal ;  and  Maine,  in  claiming  an  equal  right 
with  Georgia,  to  examine  and  determine  it,  believes 
that  she  is  not  only  not  violating  the  constitution, 
but  is  planting  herself  upon  the  great  doctrine  of 
state  rights.     Upon  a  question  of  this  sort,  then, 
where  there  is  found  to  exist  an  honest  difference  of 
opinion,  sure  it  would  be  worse  than  folly  to  array 
the  citizens  of  the  respective  states  in  hostile  atti- 
tude, and  to  regard  large  classes   of  the   citizens 
indiscriminately,  of  one  state,  as  only  bent  on  the 
commission  of  crime  when  entering  the  territory  of 
the   other.     There   is  no   reason  why   Maine   and 
Georgia,  though  widely  separated  upon  the  map  of 
the  country,  should  not  be  nearly  allied  in  mutual 
respect,  interest  and  kind  offices.    The  state  of  pub- 
lic feeling  in  Maine  has  been  entirely  misconceived 
by  the  late  governor  of  Georgia.     If  there  are  any 
among  us  who  are  disposed  to  interfere  with  the 
domestic  institutions  of  Georgia,  or  any  other  state, 
in  violation  of  law,  or  who  are  disposed  to  obstruct 
the  public  authorities  in  the  strictest  performance  of 
the  constitutional  obligation  to  deliver  up  fugitives 
from  justice,  be  the  offense  what  it  may,  the  num- 
ber is  extremely  limited.     I  am  persuaded  that  the 
present  apparent  feeling  in  our  sister  state  will  soon 
yield  to  juster  views;  and  that  no  root  of  bitterness 
will  be  permitted  to  spring  up  between  the   two 
states,  tending  permanently  to  affect  the  peaceful 
and  friendly  relations  that  ought  ever  to  subsist 

23 


between  the  different  members  of  our  great  confed- 
eracy, and  which  I  am  confident,  the  citizens  of 
this  state  are  disposed  assiduously  and  sincerely  to 
cultivate." 

Probably  the  Legislature  of  Georgia  declined  to 
follow  the  suggestion  of  the  governor  of  the  state 
by  proceeding  to  make  any  such  enactment  as  he 
regarded  justifiable  under  the  circumstances.  Cer- 
tainly no  notice  of  any  such  action  is  to  be  found 
in  any  published  document  of  the  Legislature  of 
Maine,  or  in  the  archives  of  the  secretary  of  state. 
The  proposition  was  not  taken  any  more  seriously 
in  Georgia,  evidently,  than  it  was  in  Maine.  The 
strange  thing  is  that  a  governor  of  a  great  state 
could  have  given  expression  in  a  message  to  any 
such  suggestion. 

But  if  we  can  find  nothing  further  with  reference 
to  this  case  so  far  as  Georgia  is  concerned,  an  echo 
of  it  is  heard  in  the  action  of  the  state  of  Alabama, 
knowledge  of  which  comes  before  us  in  a  report  of 
the  judiciary  committee  of  the  Senate  of  Maine, 
dated  April  13,  1841,  having  reference  to  "the  con- 
troversy between  Georgia  and  Maine."  The  report 
is  signed  by  Charles  S.  Davies  by  order  of  the  com- 
mittee, and  is  introduced  by  this  preliminary  state- 
ment: "The  Judiciary  Committee,  to  which  were 
referred  the  resolutions  of  the  General  Assembly  of 
Alabama,  transmitted  by  the  governor,  touching 
the  controversy  between  the  states  of  Georgia  and 

24 


Maine,  relating  to  the  refusal  of  the  latter  to  deliver 
up  certain  persons  charged  with  offenses  against 
the  laws  of  Georgia,  have  the  same  under  consider- 
ation and  respectfully  ask  leave  to  make  the  follow- 
ing report." 

Unfortunately  the  report  does  not  contain  the 
resolutions  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Alabama, 
and  diligent  search  in  the  archives  of  the  State 
House  at  Augusta  has  not  brought  to  light  a  copy 
of  these  resolutions.  At  length  one  was  obtained 
from  the  archives  of  the  state  of  Alabama.1  Their 
character  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  the 
members  of  the  judiciary  committee  of  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Maine  were  obliged  to  "confess  their  regret 
at  the  tone"  of  the  resolutions,  and  also  at  the 
"excited  opinions"  which  they  contained.  Without 
taking  any  further  notice  of  these  "excited  opin- 
ions," the  committee  proceeded  to  a  general  state- 
ment with  reference  to  the  Philbrook-Kelleran  case, 
the  rights  of  the  several  states  in  such  matters,  and 
the  reasons  for  the  attitude  which  the  state  of 
Maine  had  taken  in  the  controversy  between  that 
state  and  the  state  of  Georgia. 

The  committee  concluded  its  report  by  submit- 
ting the  following  resolves : 

*At  the  request  of  the  writer  of  this  paper,  Governor  Cobb,  of 
Maine,  in  a  letter  to  the  governor  of  Alabama  in  the  autumn  of  1905, 
requested  a  copy  of  these  resolutions,  but  he  received  no  reply  to 
his  communication.  A  letter  was  also  addressed  to  the  governor 
of  Alabama,  with  a  like  request,  but  no  answer  was  received. 

25 


"•Resolved,  That  in  the  opinion  of  this  Legisla- 
ture, the  subject  matter  of  said  communication  and 
resolves,  coming  from  the  General  Assembly  of 
Alabama,  concerning  the  question  existing  between 
Maine  and  Georgia,  so  far  as  this  state  is  con- 
cerned belongs  appropriately  and  exclusively  to  the 
Executive  Department,  and  that  the  Legislature  is 
not  called  upon  to  express  any  further  views  in 
relation  thereto. 

"Resolved,  That  copies  of  this  resolve,  together 
with  the  preceding  report,  be  transmitted  to  the 
governors  of  Alabama  and  Georgia." 

Some  years  after  the  Atticus  affair,  the  ship 
Tallyrand  of  Thomaston,  Captain  Edmund  Webb, 
was  entering  the  harbor  of  Savannah,  and  the  pilot 
informed  Captain  Webb  that  he  was  the  master  and 
owner  of  the  vessel  that  brought  Mr.  Sagurs  and 
his  assistants  to  East  Thomaston  in  1837.  He  said 
Atticus  was  a  caulker  by  trade  and  an  excellent 
workman,  commanding  good  wages,  and  therefore 
a  valuable  piece  of  property  to  his  owners.  Mr. 
Sagurs  he  described  as  a  cruel-hearted  man,  who 
subjected  Atticus  to  refinements  of  cruelty  on  his 
way  back  to  Savannah. 

Captain  Eugene  W.  Cookson,  a  grandson  of 
Captain  Daniel  Philbrook,  was  at  Savannah  about 
twenty  years  ago  with  his  vessel,  which  was  loading 
with  lumber  for  a  New  England  port.  One  day  an 
old  colored  man,  boss  of  a  gang  of  stevedores,  said 

26 


he  would  like  to  speak  to  him ;  and  when  the  cap- 
tain told  him  to  proceed,  the  old  man  said,  "I  hear 
you  are  from  Maine.  I  went  there  once  in  a  vessel 
whose  master  was  Captain  Daniel  Philbrook.  I  was 
a  slave  then."  When  Captain  Cookson  told  the 
old  man  that  he  was  Captain  Philbrook's  grandson, 
Atticus,  now  known  by  another  name,  expressed 
his  surprise  and  delight.  The  memory  of  that 
early  incident  in  his  life,  which  became  a  matter  of 
interest  and  consideration  in  at  least  three  states, 
had  burned  itself  deep  into  his  thoughts  and  feel- 
ings. In  the  lapse  of  years  he  had  not  forgotten 
those  who  befriended  him  in  his  endeavor  to  escape 
from  bondage,  and  he  found  not  gratification  only, 
but  immeasurable  pleasure,  in  now  giving  expres- 
sion to  the  regard  which  he  felt  for  his  old-time 
friends  on  the  schooner  Susan. 


27 


JAMBS  RUSSELL  LOWELL'S  TWO  VISITS 
TO  PORTLAND  IN  1857. 

Read  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  April  18,  1921. 


In  the  life  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  poet,  littera- 
teur and  diplomat,  there  is  a  brief  period  that  con- 
nects him  with  Portland  in  a  very  interesting  and 
noteworthy  way. 

First  of  all,  however,  in  giving  this  period  its 
proper  place,  we  shall  do  well  to  recall  a  few  facts 
in  the  unfoldings  of  Lowell's  brilliant  career.  Born 
in  Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  February  22,  1819, 
he  was  the  eighth  in  descent  from  Percival  Lowell, 
who  came  from  Bristol,  England,  to  New  England 
in  1639,  and  settled  at  Newbury,  Massachusetts. 
Lowell's  father,  Rev.  Charles  Lowell,  who  was  pas- 
tor of  the  West  Congregational  Church,  Boston, 
resided  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1861,  at  Elm- 
wood,  Cambridge.  Of  his  six  children,  James 
Russell  was  the  youngest.  Graduating  at  Harvard 
College  with  literary  honors  in  1838,  he  entered 
upon  the  study  of  law,  and  in  due  time  was  admitted 
to  the  bar ;  but  continuing  to  find  his  chief  delight 
in  literary  ventures,  especially  into  the  realm  of 

29 


poetry,  he  abandoned  the  profession  of  law,  and  in 
1841,  under  the  title,  "A  Year's  Life,"  he  gave  to  the 
public  the  first  volume  of  his  poetical  publications. 
Late  in  1843,  this  was  followed  with  a  second  vol- 
ume of  poems,  affording  strong  evidence  of  growth 
in  poetic  imagination  and  expression,  and  of  a  mind 
profoundly  stirred  by  thoughts  of  the  unending 
struggle  between  right  and  wrong,  as  appears  in  his 
Prometheus  and  other  poems.  Naturally  Lowell 
was  soon  found  in  the  ranks  of  the  anti-slavery 
reformers,  in  which  already  Longfellow  and  Whit- 
tier  were  numbered.  Lowell's  engagement  to  Miss 
Maria  White,  of  Watertown,  and  his  marriage  to 
her,  in  1844,  brought  into  his  life  forceful  influ- 
ences recognized  and  acknowledged  in  not  a  few  of 
Lowell's  sonnets  and  other  poems.  A  year  and 
more,  beginning  with  the  summer  of  1851,  were 
spent  by  the  Lowells  in  Italy,  with  a  brief  visit  to 
England.  Two  of  their  children  had  died  before 
this  journey,  and  one,  a  son,  died  in  Italy;  and 
October  27,  1853,  Mrs.  Lowell,  following  these  sore 
bereavements,  also  died,  leaving  with  Lowell  a 
daughter  Mabel,  then  a  little  more  than  six  years 
of  age.  Under  the  shadow  of  so  great  a  sorrow, 
Lowell  lovingly  brought  together  the  poems  his 
wife  had  written,  and  which  had  found  their  way 
into  print  in  various  publications;  and  these  he  now 
published  in  a  volume  under  the  title  "The  Poems 
of  Maria  Lowell."  Added  helpful  service  he  also 

30 


found  in  an  endeavor  to  fulfil  a  wish  expressed  by 
Mrs.  Lowell  in  her  last  hours.  She  was  thinking 
of  her  little  daughter,  and  the  wish  was  that  Mabel, 
when  motherless,  might  receive  the  oversight  of 
Miss  Elizabeth  J.  Dunlap,  a  very  intimate  and  dear 
friend.  Lowell's  endeavors  in  this  direction,  how- 
ever, were  not  rewarded. 

In  a  paper  read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society  in  1892,  by  Mr.  Llewellyn  Deane,  of 
Washington,  D.  C.  (who  in  his  earlier  years  was  a 
resident  of  Portland),  mention  is  made  of  the  Dun- 
lap  family.  Miss  Elizabeth,  Mr.  Deane  says,  was  a 
lady  of  very  brilliant  talents,  an  admirer  of  the 
writings  of  Emerson  and  Carlyle,  and  a  zealous 
anti-slavery  advocate.  To  the  regret  of  a  large  cir- 
cle of  friends  in  Portland,  she  went  to  California  in 
the  early  days  of  its  statehood  expecting  to  marry 
her  fiance,  Hon.  Stephen  H.  Chase,  formerly  of 
Fryeburg,  and  once  president  of  the  Maine  Senate; 
but  instead  of  marriage,  sickness  and  death  followed. 
In  this,  however,  Mr.  Deane  seems  to  have  been  in 
error,  as  on  her  memorial  in  Evergreen  Cemetery 
she  is  mentioned  as  the  "wife  of  S.  Henry  Chase." 
Mr.  Lowell  evidently,  in  making  inquiries  concern- 
ing her,  soon  heard  of  her  illness,  and  later  came 
the  tidings  of  her  death  on  August  21,  1854.  In 
connection  with  these  events,  Mr.  Lowell's  atten- 
tion was  attracted  to  Miss  Frances  H.  Dunlap, 
Elizabeth's  younger  sister,  as  possessing  qualifica- 

31 


tions  for  the  service  sought ;  and  upon  her  accept- 
ance of  the  trust,  she  came  to  Cambridge  and 
entered  the  household  at  Elmwood. 

Early  in  1855,  Lowell  was  made  Longfellow's 
successor  at  Harvard  as  Smith  professor  of  the 
French  and  Spanish  languages  and  literatures,  and 
professor  of  belles  lettres,  an  appointment  that 
was  a  deserved  acknowledgment  of  the  position 
Lowell  had  already  won  by  his  brilliant  literary 
attainments ;  and  in  order  that  he  might  still  fur- 
ther add  to  his  present  equipment  for  service,  he 
was  granted  a  year's  absence  for  added  study  in 
Europe.  The  time  was  spent  for  the  most  part  in 
France  and  Germany.  In  the  fall  of  1856,  having 
returned  to  Cambridge,  Lowell  entered  upon  the 
duties  of  his  professorship. 

A  new  period  in  his  life  now  opened,  but  in 
other  ways  than  in  his  relations  to  Harvard  College. 
Even  before  his  recent  residence  abroad  Lowell  had 
not  failed  to  discover  the  great  value  of  the  services 
he  had  secured  in  placing  his  daughter  under  the 
care  and  influence  of  Miss  Dunlap.  The  letters  he 
received  from  her  during  his  absence,  acquainting 
him  with  such  facts  as  naturally  he  desired  to 
obtain  concerning  Mabel's  health  and  happiness, 
afforded  him  a  deeper  insight  into  her  mind  and 
character.  Now,  after  his  return,  and  the  renewal 
of  personal  relations,  added  impressions  and  con- 
victions moved  him  until,  in  the  summer  of  1857, 

32 


marriage  was  proposed  and  accepted.  In  a  letter 
to  his  friend,  Mr.  Charles  Eliot  Norton  of  Cam- 
bridge, he  made  an  early  announcement  of  the 
approaching  marriage:  "I  have  told  you  once  or 
twice  that  I  should  not  be  married  again  if  I  could 
help  it.  The  time  has  come  when  I  cannot.  A 
great  many  things  (which  I  cannot  write  about) 
have  conspired  to  bring  me  to  this  resolution,  and 
I  rejoice  in  it,  for  I  feel  already  stronger  and  better, 
with  an  equability  of  mind  that  I  have  not  felt  for 
years." *  Ten  days  later,2  having  received  from  Mr. 
Norton  a  letter  expressing  hearty  approval  of  the 
proposed  marriage,  Mr.  Lowell  added:  "I  already 
begin  to  feel  like  my  old  self  again  in  health  and 
spirits,  and  feel  secure  now,  if  I  die,  of  leaving 
Mabel  to  wise  and  loving  government.  So  intimate 
an  acquaintance  as  mine  has  been  with  Miss  Dunlap 
for  nearly  four  years  has  made  me  know  and  love 
her,  and  she  certainly  must  know  me  well  enough  to 
be  safe  in  committing  her  happiness  to  my  hands."8 
Farther  on  in  the  same  letter,  Lowell  added  the 
following  interesting  account  of  a  visit  he  had  just 
made  to  the  Dunlap  home.  "I  went  down  last  week 
to  Portland  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  her  family, 
and  like  them,  especially  her  mother,  who  is  a  per- 
son of  great  character.  They  live  in  a  little  bit  of 

aScudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  401. 

2  August  21,  1857. 

8Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  401,  402. 

3  33 


a  house  in  a  little  bit  of  a  street,  behind  the  great 
house  (the  biggest  in  town)  in  which  they  were 
brought  up,  and  not  one  of  them  seemed  conscious 
that  they  were  not  welcoming  me  to  a  palace. 
There  were  no  apologies  for  want  of  room,  no  Dog- 
berry hints  at  losses,  nor  anything  of  that  kind ;  but 
all  was  simple,  ladylike,  and  hearty.  A  family  of 
girls  who  expected  to  be  rich,  and  have  had  to  sup- 
port themselves  and  (I  suspect)  their  mother  in  part, 
are  not  likely  to  have  any  nonsense  in  them.  I 
find  Miss  Dunlap's  education  very  complete  in  hav- 
ing had  the  two  great  teachers,  Wealth  and  Pov- 
erty— one  has  taught  not  to  value  money,  the  other 
to  be  independent  of  it.  ...  I  am  more  and  more 
in  love  with  Fanny ;  whose  nature  is  so  delightfully 
cheerful  that  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  get  into  the 
dumps  if  I  wished."1 

These  words  in  Lowell's  reference  to  this  visit  to 
Portland  were  the  occasion  of  the  preparation  of 
this  paper.  Certain  questions  at  once  called  for  an 
answer.  In  the  first  place,  where  was  the  "great 
house"  mentioned  by  the  writer  of  the  letter,  and 
where  was  the  "little  bit  of  a  house"  on  a  "little  bit 
of  a  street,"  to  which  Lowell  directed  his  feet  on  his 
arrival  in  Portland?  In  seeking  an  answer,  I  nat- 
urally made  my  way  to  our  Maine  Historical  Society 
library,  and  addressed  the  inquiry  to  the  librarian 
and  her  assistant,  always  cheerful  helpers.  From 

1Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  402. 

34 


the  society's  treasures,  new  and  old,  they  soon 
brought  to  me  two  well-filled  scrapbooks  in  which 
the  Goolds,  William  and  his  son  Nathan,  had  hap- 
pily preserved  their  newspaper  contributions  with 
reference  to  Portland's  historic  houses;  and  from 
these  the  information  was  soon  derived  that  the 
"great  house  (the  biggest  in  town)"  was  the  large 
brick  building  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Danforth 
Streets,  now  known  as  the  Female  Orphan  Asylum. 
From  these  sources,  also,  came  the  information  that 
the  "big  house"  was  built  by  Captain  John  Dunlap, 
who,  in  1833,  transferred  his  large  shipping  interests 
from  Brunswick  to  Portland. 

From  other  sources  it  was  soon  learned  that  Cap- 
tain Dunlap's  emigrant  ancestor  was  a  native  of 
Ulster  County  in  the  north  of  Ireland.  Born  in 
1715,  educated  at  the  University  of  Edinburgh,  he 
came  to  this  country  in  the  spring  of  1736.  Receiv- 
ing Presbyterian  ordination  at  the  French  Protes- 
tant Church  in  Boston,  he  subsequently  resided  in 
several  New  England  localities,  but  chiefly  in  Maine. 
In  1747,  he  was  invited  to  become  the  minister  of 
the  church  in  Brunswick,  and  Brunswick  continued 
to  be  his  home  until  his  death,  June  26,  1776.  His 
son,  Captain  John  Dunlap,  born  June  19,  1738,  was 
a  man  of  large  business  ability,  with  extensive  lum- 
ber and  shipbuilding  interests.  In  1803,  he  is  said 
to  have  been  regarded  as  the  richest  man  in  the 
District  of  Maine.  For  eight  years  he  represented 

35 


Brunswick  in  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts. 
His  children  by  his  first  wife  (Jenette  Dunning) 
were  Robert,  John,  David,  Samuel  and  Mary;  by 
his  second  wife  (Mary  Tappan,  whom  he  married 
in  1788)  his  children  were  Richard  T.,  Robert, 
Robert  P.,1  and  Marcia  Scott. 

The  second  son,  John,  born  March  9,  1774  (also 
known  as  Captain  John  Dunlap),  removed  from 
Brunswick  to  Portland.  He  at  first  occupied  as  a 
residence  the  brick  house  on  State  Street  early 
known  as  the  Coombs  house,  which  was  afterward 
owned  by  Mr.  George  A.  Thomas.  Later,  having 
secured  land  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  he 
commenced  the  erection  of  the  "big  house"  men- 
tioned in  Mr.  Lowell's  letter,  and  to-day  known  as 
the  Female  Orphan  Asylum.  This  new,  commodi- 
ous and  expensive  residence  was  well  within  his 
ample  means;  and,  in  1834,  when  it  was  completed, 
and  he  brought  into  it  his  large  and  interesting 
family,  Captain  Dunlap  may  rightly  have  enter- 
tained the  expectation  of  finding  in  it  both  comfort 
and  permanence.  But  the  expected  does  not  always 
happen.  In  1837-1838,  a  wave  of  financial  distress 
swept  over  the  country.  In  it  Portland  suffered,  as 
did  other  centers  of  business  activity; 2  and  in  the 

1  Robert  P.  Dunlap  was  governor  of  Maine  1834-1838. 

2  In  his  paper  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society  already  cited,  Mr. 
Llewellyn  Deane,  referring  to  business  conditions  in  Portland  at  the 
period  of  which  mention  is  here  made,  said:    "I  remember  well  how 
many  vessels  were  for  a  long  time  laid  up  at  the  wharves  of  our  city 

36 


general  disaster  that  followed,  Captain  Dunlap's 
property  accumulations  were  lost.  His  strenuous 
efforts  to  retrieve  his  losses  were  not  successful,  and 
he  died  in  Portland  July  14,  1842. 

This  much,  or  at  least  a  large  part,  was  learned 
from  the  Goold  scrapbooks  concerning  the  builder 
of  the  "big  house"  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Dan- 
forth  Streets,  and  the  father  of  Mrs.  James  Russell 
Lowell.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Lowell,  as  we  also 
learn  from  these  scrapbooks,  was  "a  woman  of  great 
dignity,  decision  and  character,"  confirming  what 
Mr.  Lowell  writes  to  Mr.  Norton  in  his  mention 
of  Mrs.  Dunlap  as  "a  person  of  great  character." 
She  was  a  great-granddaughter  of  Colonel  Ezekiel 
Cushing,  who  lived  at  Cushing's  Point,  South  Port- 
land, just  beyond  the  breakwater,  and  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  his  time  in 
this  vicinity.  Her  father,  Apollos  Cushing  (whose 
house  stood  on  the  southwest  side  of  what  is  now 
Lincoln  Park),  was  one  of  the  enterprising  business 
men  of  Portland,  and  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the 
projectors  and  builders  of  the  Observatory  on  Mun- 
joy  Hill  in  1807,  and  still  a  conspicuous  reminder 
of  its  former  importance  in  giving  prompt  informa- 
tion concerning  the  approach  of  incoming  vessels 
in  that  earlier  period  of  our  merchant  marine.  Miss 
Lois  Cushing  in  1814  married  Captain  John  Porter, 

or  anchored  in  the  stream  —  among  others  the  ship  John  Dunlap,  the 
full  rigged  brig  Dunlap,  the  John  Brewer  and  others." 


37 


I  Q 
JLIJ 


who,  January  21,  1815,  sailed  out  of  Portland  Har- 
bor in  command  of  the  privateer  Dash,  a  Portland 
brig  with  a  record  of  seven  cruises,  under  four  com- 
manders, and  of  the  capture  of  fifteen  vessels  with- 
out the  loss  of  a  man  or  of  any  injury  to  the  Dash 
worthy  of  mention.  A  very  severe  wintry  storm 
burst  upon  the  Maine  coast  not  long  after  the  brig 
passed  to  the  eastward.  Indeed,  so  severe  was  the 
storm  that  alarm  for  the  safety  of  the  vessel  was 
awakened,  and  tidings  were  anxiously  awaited ;  but 
no  tidings  came,  and  many  months  passed  before 
hope  was  finally  abandoned.  "Lost  in  the  Dash" 
is  still  a  record  that  is  read  on  headstones  in  our 
cemeteries  of  that  period.  To  Mrs.  Porter,  a  bride 
of  twenty-two  months,  a  son  was  born  after  the  loss 
of  her  husband,  and  to  him  she  gave  her  husband's 
name,  John  Porter.  September  21,  1821,  Mrs. 
Porter  became  the  wife  of  Captain  John  Dunlap ; 
and  when  he  died,  in  1842,  she  and  her  six  Dunlap 
children  were  living  in  the  great  house  he  had 
built  on  the  corner  of  State  and  Danforth  Streets. 
Because  of  his  financial  reverses  already  mentioned, 
however,  Mrs.  Dunlap,  in  the  settlement  of  her 
husband's  estate,  sold  the  "great  house"  in  1843  to 
Judge  Joseph  Howard. 

But  where  was  the  "little  bit  of  a  house  in  a  little 
bit  of  a  street,  behind  the  great  house,"  as  men- 
tioned by  Lowell  in  his  letter  to  Professor  Norton  ? 
Naturally  it  should  be  found  in  the  next  street 

38 


above  State  leading  south  from  Danforth.  Such 
"a  little  bit  of  a  street"  is  Tyng  Street,  and  such  a 
"little  bit  of  a  house"  as  we  were  looking  for  is  found 
on  the  left-hand  side  of  the  street  as  one  passes 
down  Tyng  from  Danforth.  It  is  not  exactly 
"behind  the  great  house,"  as  Lowell  indicates,  but  it 
is  so  located  as  sufficiently  to  satisfy  such  a  descrip- 
tion. From  a  personal  examination,  therefore,  the 
"little  bit  of  a  house"  and  the  "little  bit  of  a  street" 
behind  the  "great  house"  seemed  to  have  been 
found.  But  further  search  was  possible.  The 
library  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  has  large 
sources  of  information,  but  it  has  not  as  yet  a  com- 
plete set  of  Portland  Directories.  An  examination 
of  such  as  are  in  its  possession,  however,  furnished 
no  evidence  of  Dunlap  residents  on  Tyng  Street. 
In  the  Directory  for  1858,  however,  mention  is  made 
of  Widow  Lois  Dunlap  as  dwelling  on  Brackett 
Street.  But  would  one  be  likely  to  make  mention 
of  Brackett  Street  as  a  "little  bit  of  a  street,"  or  to 
describe  a  house  on  Brackett  Street  as  located  "be- 
hind" the  Female  Orphan  Asylum  on  State  Street? 
The  city  engineer,  Mr.  E.  W.  Hunt,  was  now  con- 
sulted in  the  search  for  added  information ;  and 
having  access  to  a  larger  collection  of  Portland 
Directories  than  is  as  yet  in  the  possession  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society,  he  soon  ascertained  that 
Mrs.  Lois  Dunlap,  widow  of  Captain  John  Dunlap, 
lived  in  1846  on  Pearl  Court,  mentioned  in  the 

39 


directory  of  1847  as  66  Pearl  Street.  From  1850 
to  1875,  ner  residence  was  at  19  (new  number  45) 
Brackett  Street.  In  1875,  as  Mr.  Hunt  also  learned, 
she  sold  her  house  on  Brackett  Street  to  Ruth 
Frost,  describing  the  property  in  the  sale  as  "lately 
occupied  by  me  as  a  dwelling  house."  This,  of 
course,  was  decisive  as  to  the  location  of  the  house 
in  which  Professor  Lowell  found  the  Dunlap  family 
in  his  visit  to  Portland.  Doubtless,  Brackett  Street 
seemed  to  the  visitor  a  "little  bit  of  a  street"  com- 
pared with  Brattle  Street  in  Cambridge,  or  even 
with  State  Street  in  Portland,  just  as  the  "little  bit 
of  a  house"  on  Brackett  Street,  as  seen  by  Lowell, 
was  afterward  described  by  Mr.  William  Goold  as 
"of  no  mean  size  or  appearance." 

But  it  was  to  the  Dunlap  family,  mother  and 
daughters,  that  Lowell  called  especial  attention  in 
his  letter  to  Norton ;  and  one  would  not  err,  doubt- 
less, if  he  should  think  of  Frances,  the  daughter 
Lowell  was  soon  to  marry,  as  now  at  home,  assist- 
ing in  making  preparations  for  the  approaching 
wedding,  and  so  among  those  who  gave  him  such 
fitting  greeting,  no  one  of  whom  seemed  conscious 
that  they  were  not  welcoming  him  to  a  palace. 
The  words  in  his  description  of  the  event,  although 
already  cited,  should  be  repeated  here:  "There 
were  no  apologies  for  want  of  room,  no  Dogberry 
hints  at  losses,  nor  anything  of  that  kind;  but  all 
was  simple,  ladylike,  and  hearty.  A  family  of  girls 

40 


who  expected  to  be  rich,  and  have  had  to  support 
themselves  and  (I  suspect)  their  mother  in  part,  are 
not  likely  to  have  any  nonsense  in  them.  I  find 
Miss  Dunlap's  education  very  complete  in  having 
had  the  two  great  teachers,  Wealth  and  Poverty — 
one  has  taught  not  to  value  money,  the  other  to  be 
independent  of  it."  These  fine  words  are  as  cred- 
itable to  Lowell  as  they  were  to  those  whose  guest 
he  had  been  in  this  Portland  visit.  There  was  no 
nonsense  in  him.  Born  at  Elmwood  in  a  family 
that  had  known  neither  wealth  nor  poverty,  he  had 
fought  his  upward  way  in  life  by  hard  struggles 
against  adverse  circumstances,  and  had  learned  to 
recognize  and  appreciate  real  worth  when  and 
wherever  found. 

The  wedding,  which  was  the  occasion  of  Lowell's 
second  visit  to  Portland,  soon  followed.  Its  ap- 
proach was  first  announced  by  the  Boston  corre- 
spondent of  the  New  York  Post  in  these  words : 
"I  hear  that  Mr.  James  Russell  Lowell  is  to  be 
married  in  a  fortnight  to  a  Miss  Dunlap."  This 
interesting  item  reappeared  in  the  Portland  Daily 
Advertiser,  September  9,  1857,  with  these  added 
editorial  words:  "It  is  understood  that  the  lady 
referred  to  is  Miss  Frances  H.  Dunlap  of  this  city 
and  niece  of  ex-Governor  Dunlap  of  Brunswick." 

The  following  account  of  the  wedding,  which 
occurred  on  September  i6th,  appeared  in  the  Port- 
land Daily  Advertiser  of  the  iyth :  "Professor  James 

41 


Russell  Lowell,  of  Harvard  College,  was  married 
in  this  city  yesterday  morning  to  Miss  Frances  H. 
Dunlap,  daughter  of  the  late  John  Dunlap,  Esq. 
The  ceremony  took  place  in  St.  Luke's  church,  Rev. 
Robert  T.  L.  Lowell,  of  Newark,  N.  J.,  and  Rev. 
Alexander  Burgess,  of  this  city,  officiating.  A  large 
number  of  spectators  witnessed  the  wedding,  drawn 
by  an  interest  in  the  distinguished  bridegroom." 
In  these  last  words,  giving  prominence  to  the  bride- 
groom rather  than  to  the  bride  as  the  attraction  of 
the  hour,  we  have  one  of  those  infelicities  in  repor- 
torial  work  which  not  infrequently  find  illustration 
in  the  social  columns  of  our  newspapers  even  at  the 
present  day.  At  the  same  time,  however,  it  must 
be  remembered  that  the  bridegroom,  and  not  the 
bride,  was  the  unfamiliar  figure  in  Portland,  and 
that  Lowell,  now  thirty-eight  years  of  age,  had 
reached  such  a  prominent  position  in  the  literary 
world  that  not  only  had  he  been  made  the  successor 
of  Longfellow  at  Harvard,  but  that,  as  a  poet  and  a 
man  of  letters,  he  was  already  in  the  front  rank  of 
American  authors.  To  the  Advertiser  s  reference 
to  the  wedding  it  should  be  added  that  the  first 
mentioned  of  the  officiating  clergymen  was  one  of 
Mr.  Lowell's  brothers,  who  was  also  a  poet  and  the 
author  of  several  stories,  among  which  the  best 
remembered  is  "The  Priest  of  Conception  Bay."  It 
should  also  be  added  that  St.  Luke's  church,  in 
which  the  wedding  service  was  held,  is  now  known 

42 


as  St.  Stephen's  church.  This  stone  building, 
erected  by  St.  Luke's  parish  and  consecrated  in 
1854,  was  known  as  St.  Luke's  church  until  the 
great  fire  of  1866.  In  that  memorable  conflagra- 
tion St.  Stephen's  church,  on  Middle  Street,  was 
burned,  and  not  long  after  Bishop  Neely  recom- 
mended to  the  parish  of  St.  Stephen's  church  the 
purchase  of  St.  Luke's.  The  recommendation  was 
adopted,  and  both  congregations  occupied  the  church 
until  the  erection  of  St.  Luke's  cathedral.  Accord- 
ingly in  1857,  when  the  Lowell-Dunlap  marriage 
was  solemnized,  the  present  St.  Stephen's  church 
was  still  known  as  St.  Luke's. 

The  account  of  the  wedding  that  appeared  in  the 
Daily  Advertiser  has  already  been  cited.  On  the 
day  following  the  wedding,  the  Eastern  Argus,  in 
its  list  of  marriages,  included  that  of  James  Russell 
Lowell  to  Frances  H.  Dunlap,  but  evidently  it  con- 
sidered its  duty  to  its  readers  fulfilled  with  the 
insertion  of  this  brief  announcement.  In  fact,  the 
only  extended  account  of  an  occasion  of  so  much 
interest  in  the  social  life  of  the  Portland  of  that  day 
is  in  a  paper  read  by  Mrs.  Elizabeth  McL.  Gould 
Rowland,  September  5,  1912,  at  Riverton,  at  a 
reunion  of  the  class  of  1859  in  the  Girls'  High 
School  in  Portland. 

As  a  matter  of  information  it  may  be  well  to 
remark  in  this  connection  that  at  the  time  of  the 
wedding  Portland  had  a  Boys'  High  School  and  a 

43 


Girls'  High  School.  The  latter,  opened  September 
10,  1850,  in  the  ward  room  on  Brackett  Street,  was 
removed  a  few  months  later  to  a  new  building  on 
Chestnut  Street,  and  continued,  under  Mr.  Moses 
Woolson  as  principal,  until  November,  1862,  when 
Mr.  Woolson  accepted  the  principalship  of  the 
Woodward  High  School  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  This 
change  was  followed  a  few  months  later  by  the 
union  of  the  two  Portland  high  schools  as  at  present. 
At  the  time  of  the  Lowell-Dunlap  wedding,  Mrs. 
Rowland,  then  Miss  Gould,  was  fifteen  years  of 
age.  Her  account  of  the  wedding,  accordingly,  is 
the  story  of  what  was  of  chief  interest  to  a  school- 
girl, who  knew  Marcia  Dunlap,  the  bride's  young- 
est sister,  and  had  heard  of  the  bridegroom  as  an 
American  poet  already  mentioned  with  Longfellow 
and  Whittier.  The  story  begins  with  a  reference 
to  the  difficulty  Miss  Gould  had  as  a  schoolgirl  in 
obtaining  Mr.  Woolson's  permission  to  attend  the 
wedding.  Other  girls  wanted  a  like  privilege,  and 
on  reaching  the  school  she  found  a  group  of  girls 
already  urgently  pressing  their  claims  upon  the 
attention  of  the  principal ;  and  there  were  those 
who  exclaimed,  "Let  us  all  go."  Perhaps  one  or  two, 
she  says,  were  allowed  to  go.  When  her  chance 
came  she  presented  her  plea,  remaining  until  Mr. 
Woolson  placed  his  hand  on  the  bell,  rang  it,  and 
called  the  school  to  order.  With  her  request  thus 
dismissed  Miss  Gould  took  her  seat  and  turned  to 

44 


her  books  in  a  condition  of  mind  as  if  she  had  been 
badly  used.  Later  in  the  forenoon,  however,  while 
at  her  desk,  she  heard  Mr.  Woolson  say,  "Miss 
Gould,  you  are  excused."  She  looked  up  half-dazed 
as  he  added,  "You  may  go."  She  caught  at  once 
his  meaning.  "Without  a  word  to  anybody,"  she 
says,  "I  put  away  my  books,  got  my  bonnet  and 
shawl,  and  hurried  up  Chestnut  and  Congress 
Streets  alone  and  much  elated.  It  was  before  I 
reached  High  Street  that  I  heard  a  quick  step 
behind  me,  and  there  was  Mr.  Woolson  himself. 
'Yes,  I'm  going  too.  I  couldn't  dismiss  the  school; 
but  I  could  let  one  go,  and  you  were  the  only  one 
who  asked  especially.'  So,  together,  we  rushed  and 
panted  up  Congress  Street  to  what  is  now  St. 
Stephen's  Church,  but  was  then  called  St.  Luke's 
before  the  cathedral  was  built,  and  I  got  a  seat  not 
far  from  the  door,  in  the  middle  row  of  pews,  and 
waited  for  the  wedding  party  to  appear." 

While  she  was  thus  sitting,  expectant  and  impa- 
tient, the  bustle  at  the  door  betokened  the  first 
arrivals  of  those  accompanying  the  bride  and  bride- 
groom. In  the  procession,  as  it  entered  the  church, 
"one,"  she  says,  "caught  my  eye.  This  was  the 
poet's  little  daughter,  a  child  of  seven  or  eight  per- 
haps,1 in  a  white  dress,  quite  beyond  my  experience 
of  home  creations — with  some  pink  ribbons,  a  sash 
probably — I  remember  only  how  pinky  and  pretty 

1She  was  born  September  9,  1847,  and  at  this  time,  therefore,  was 
ten  years  of  age." 

45 


she  looked,  and  also  that  she  had  on  white  kid 
gloves,  which  I  had  never  seen  on  a  child  before — 
but  I  took  in  the  whole  dainty  combination  as  the 
vision  went  down  the  right-hand  aisle  past  my  pew." 
A  schoolgirl  of  fifteen  years  naturally  may  be 
expected  to  linger  more  eagerly  over  the  vision  of 
Mr.  Lowell's  lovely  little  daughter  as  she  moved 
down  the  aisle  of  the  church,  and  to  retain  more 
fully  the  impression  which  the  vision  made  upon 
her,  than  over  that  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom  who 
followed  in  the  procession ;  yet  she  did  not  fail  in 
her  opportunity  to  take  in  the  larger  view,  although 
of  course  she  could  not  know  that  of  all  those  pres- 
ent she  alone  would  hand  on  to  others  interesting 
recollections  of  a  memorable  social  happening  in  the 
Forest  City.  None  the  less,  however,  the  writer  of 
the  narrative  added:  "Soon  came  Mr.  Lowell  and 
Miss  Dunlap,  and  he  looked  just  like  the  pictures 
in  his  books,  with  the  same  luxuriant  wavy  auburn 
hair  worn  much  longer  than  men  have  ever  worn 
theirs  since  the  Civil  War.  She  was  in  white,  and 
had  one  or  two  small  ostrich  feathers  by  the  side  of 
her  low-coiled  hair.  Now  just  as  they  went  by  my 
pew,  Mr.  Lowell  said  something  to  her,  and  she 
smiled — almost  laughed  outright.  I  heard  after- 
ward that  as  she  entered  the  church  she  said  to  him, 
'I'm  afraid  I'm  going  to  faint';  and  he  answered  her 
in  some  way  that  turned  the  current  of  her  thoughts 
and  made  her  laugh  instead.  But  to  speak  under 

46 


his  breath  to  her,  he  had  turned  his  face  toward  my 
pew,  and  I  had  a  good  full  look  at  the  distinguished 
bridegroom." 

If  the  writer  of  the  above  narrative  had  at  that 
time  reached  maturer  years,  her  recollections  of  the 
bride  and  bridegroom  would  doubtless  have  retained 
impressions  furnishing  us  with  other  materials  more 
helpful  in  bringing  before  us  the  personal  presence 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowell  on  their  wedding  day. 
Concerning  Mr.  Lowell  this  is  not  so  needful,  as  he 
has  been  a  familiar  figure  in  American  life  and  lit- 
erature so  long.  As  to  Mrs.  Lowell,  however,  we 
may  be  helped  by  others.  Mr.  W.  J.  Stillman,  who 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Lowell  in  literary  work  at 
Elmwood,  and  knew  Mrs.  Lowell  there  before  the 
marriage,  says  this  concerning  her:  "She  was  one 
of  the  rarest  and  most  sympathetic  creatures  I  have 
ever  known.  She  was  the  governess  of  Lowell's 
daughter,  when  I  first  went  to  stay  at  Elmwood, 
and  I  then  felt  the  charm  of  her  character.  She 
was  a  sincere  Swedenborgian,  with  the  serene  faith 
and  spiritual  outlook  I  have  generally  found  to  be 
characteristic  of  that  sect ;  with  a  warmth  of  spirit- 
ual sympathy  of  which  I  have  known  few  so 
remarkable  instances ;  a  fine  and  subtle  faculty  of 
appreciation,  serious  and  tender,  which  was  to 
Lowell  like  an  unfolding  of  the  divine  Spirit  .  .  . 
she  fitted  him  like  the  air  around  him.  ...  He 
had  felt  the  charm  of  her  character  before  he  went 

47 


to  Europe,  and  had  begun  to  betid  to  it ;  but  as  he 
said  to  me  after  his  marriage,  he  would  make  no 
sign  till  he  had  tested  by  a  prolonged  absence  the 
solidity  of  the  feeling  he  had  felt  growing  up.  He 
waited,  therefore,  till  his  visit  to  Germany  had  satis- 
fied him  that  it  was  sympathy,  and  not  propinquity, 
that  lay  at  the  root  of  his  inclination  for  her,  before 
declaring  himself.  No  married  life  could  be  more 
fortunate  in  all  respects  except  one — they  had  no 
children.  But  for  all  that  his  life  required,  she  was 
to  him  healing  from  sorrow  and  a  defense  against 
all  trouble,  a  very  spring  of  life  and  hope."1 

From  the  reference  to  Elmwood  in  this  citation 
it  would  seem  that  the  earliest  of  these  impressions 
of  Mrs.  Lowell  belong  to  the  period  when  Mr. 
Lowell  was  still  an  inmate  of  the  Lowell  home  fol- 
lowing the  death  of  Mrs.  Lowell,  and  while  Miss 
Dunlap  was  having  the  oversight  of  Mabel.  After 
his  return  from  France  and  Germany,  however,  he 
made  his  home  (doubtless  on  account  of  the  increas- 
ing illness  of  his  father  and  sister)  on  Kneeland 
Street,  Cambridge,  with  Dr.  Estes  Howe,  who  had 
married  a  sister  of  Maria  White  Lowell.  If  this 
suggestion  is  correct,  therefore,  it  is  to  this  period 
in  Lowell's  life  that  Mr.  Stillman  refers  in  the  fol- 
lowing passage  in  his  Lowell  recollections :  "Lowell 
was  indeed  very  happy  in  his  married  life,  and 

1  "A  Few  of  Lowell's  Letters"  in  The  Old  Rome  and  the  New,  and 
Other  Studies,  by  W.  J.  Stillman. 

48 


amongst  the  pictures  Memory  will  keep  on  her  tab- 
let for  me,  till  Death  passes  his  sponge  over  it  once 
for  all,  is  one  of  his  wife  lying  in  a  long  chair  under 
the  trees  at  Dr.  Howe's,  when  the  sun  was  getting 
cool,  and  laughing  with  her  low,  musical  laugh  at  a 
contest  in  punning  between  Lowell  and  myself, 
hand passibus  requis,  but  in  which  he  found  enough 
to  provoke  his  wit  to  activity ;  her  almost  Oriental 
eyes  twinkling  with  fun,  half-closed  and  flashing 
from  one  to  the  other  of  us;  her  low,  sweet  fore- 
head, wide  between  the  temples ;  mouth  wreathing 
with  humor;  and  the  whole  frame,  lithe  and  fragile, 
laughing  with  her  eyes  at  his  extravagant  and  rol- 
licking word-play.  One  would  hardly  have  said 
that  she  was  a  beautiful  woman,  but  fascinating  she 
was  in  the  happiest  sense  of  the  word,  with  all  the 
fascination  of  pure  and  perfect  womanhood  and 
perfect  happiness."1 

William  Dean  Howells,  also,  has  left  on  record 
a  personal  description  of  Mrs.  Lowell,  which  should 
be  inserted  here,  although  it  belongs  to  a  little  later 
period :  "She  was  a  woman  perfectly  of  the  New 
England  type  and  tradition ;  almost  repellantly  shy 
at  first  and  almost  glacierly  cold  with  new  acquaint- 
ance, but  afterward  very  sweet  and  cordial.  She 
was  of  a  dark  beauty,  with  a  regular  face  of  the 
'Spanish  outline;  Lowell  was  of  an  ideal  manner 
toward  her,  and  of  an  admiration  which  delicately 

1Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  406,  407. 
4  49 


travestied  itself  and  which  she  knew  how  to  receive 
with  smiling  irony."  Also,  one  of  her  own  sex, 
Mrs.  Sophie  Herrick,  has  this  fine  characterization 
of  Mrs.  Lowell :  "She  was  a  noble  and  beautiful 
woman,  eminently  practical  in  all  the  affairs  of  life. 
Commanding  in  presence,  gracious  in  her  hospital- 
ity, highly  cultured,  and  full  of  a  keen  appreciation 
of  every  word  of  Mr.  Lowell,  and  always  charming 
and  womanly."1 

These  appreciative  tributes  clearly  show  how 
well-fitted  Mrs.  Lowell  was  for  this  closer  relation- 
ship now  consummated.  The  preceding  years  had 
given  her  large  opportunities  for  becoming  familiar 
not  only  with  Lowell's  home-life,  but  also  with  his 
methods  of  work;  and  she  was  able  at  once  to  find 
and  plan  ways  that  would  be  helpful  to  him  in  his 
busy  endeavors  in  connection  with  his  various  liter- 
ary enterprises.  Lowell's  father  died  in  January, 
1 86 1.  The  approach  of  this  event  opened  the  way 
to  Lowell's  return  to  Elmwood.  The  house  had  a 
great  interest  to  him,  not  only  because  it  was  his 
birthplace,  but  because  of  its  historic  associations. 
It  was  built  for  Thomas  Oliver,  lieutenant  governor 
of  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay  in  the  troub- 
lous times  preceding  the  American  Revolution. 
From  it  Oliver  was  driven  by  indignant  patriots, 
and  took  up  his  residence  in  Boston  under  the  pro- 
tection of  British  soldiers;  and  when  the  army  at 

1Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  403,  404. 

50 


MRS.  JAMES  RUSSELL  LOWELL. 


length  withdrew,  Oliver  also  withdrew,  never  to 
return.  Later,  the  house  was  used  as  a  hospital  for 
the  American  army.  When,  with  other  Tory  prop- 
erty, it  was  confiscated  by  the  Massachusetts  author- 
ities, it  was  purchased  by  Arthur  Cabot  of  Salem. 
He  sold  it  to  Elbridge  Gerry  of  Marblehead,  a  lin- 
eal descendant  of  Thomas  Elbridge,  who,  about 
1640,  came  to  this  country  from  Bristol,  England, 
as  the  inheritor  of  the  Aldworth-Elbridge  Pemaquid 
grant.  Gerry  was  governor  of  Massachusetts  from 
1810  to  1812,  and  vice  president  of  the  United 
States  from  March  4,  1813,  until  his  death,  Novem- 
ber 23,  1814.  From  the  Gerry  heirs,  Lowell's  father 
purchased  the  house  and  about  ten  acres  of  land  in 
1818,  and  here  James  Russell  Lowell  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1819.  Lowell's  great  joy,  in  returning 
now  to  this  home  of  happy  as  well  as  of  historic 
memories,  is  well  expressed  in  a  letter  from  Lowell 
to  Richard  Grant  White,  March  15,  1861 :  "What 
a  delight  to  me  to  be  here  in  my  old  garret  at  Elm- 
wood,  no  college  to  go  to  (it  is  Saturday),  sheltered 
by  the  very  wings  of  the  storm,  and  shut  in  from  all 
the  world  by  this  white  cloud  of  peace  let  down 
from  heaven !  The  great  chimney  stacks  roar  a 
deep  bass  like  Harlaem  organ  pipes.  The  old  light- 
ning rod  thumps  and  rattles  with  every  gust,  as  I 
used  to  hear  it  so  long  ago  when  there  were  no  col- 
leges nor  magazines  nor  any  world  outside  our  belt 


51 


of  pines.     I  am  at  home  again.     I  like  everything 
and  everybody."1 

To  Mrs.  Lowell,  Elmwood  was  a  "great  house," 
as  was  her  own  earlier  State  Street  home  in  Port- 
land. New  cares  came  to  her  as  its  mistress.  It 
was  war-time,  too,  and  we  cannot  but  think  of  her 
as  sharing  in  fullest  measure  the  sorrowful  experi- 
ences of  the  Lowell  family  as  the  battle  years  robbed 
them  of  their  dearest  and  choicest.  Back  of  Low- 
ell's brilliant  Commemoration  Ode  at  Harvard,  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  was  this  personal  family  expe- 
rience. A  friend  of  Mrs.  Lowell  received  from  her 
the  following  story  of  the  stress  under  which  the 
ode  was  written:  "I  was  speaking  to  Mrs.  Lowell  of 
my  strong  admiration  for  its  fire  and  eloquence,  and 
she  told  me  that  after  Mr.  Lowell  had  agreed  to 
deliver  the  poem  on  that  occasion  he  had  tried  in 
vain  to  write  it.  The  last  evening  before  the  date 
fixed,  he  said  to  her,  'I  must  write  this  poem 
to-night.  Go  to  bed  and  do  not  let  me  feel  that  I 
am  keeping  you  up,  and  I  shall  be  more  at  ease.' 
He  began  it  at  ten  o'clock.  At  four  in  the  morn- 
ing he  came  to  her  door  and  said:  'It  is  done  and 
I  am  going  to  sleep  now.'  She  opened  her  eyes  to 
see  him  standing  haggard,  actually  wasted  by  the 
stress  of  labor  and  the  excitement  which  had  carried 
him  through  a  poem  full  of  passion  and  fire,  of  523 
lines  in  the  space  of  six  hours."2 

1  Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  I,  454. 
"Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  II,  65,  note. 

52 


With  Lowell,  the  entire  fifteen  years  following  the 
wedding  in  Portland,  in  1857,  were  years  of  active 
literary  work.  His  service  as  editor  of  the  Atlan- 
tic Monthly  (the  first  number  of  which  appeared  in 
November,  1857)  was  relinquished  in  1861,  and 
though  he  still  retained  his  professorship  at  Har- 
vard, he  was  allowed  a  tutor  for  service  which 
afforded  him  desired  relief.  In  this  time  from  1857 
to  1872,  conscious  of  the  opportunity  that  was  now 
his  in  the  possession  of  powers  fitting  him  for  their 
best  use,  Lowell  devoted  himself  increasingly  to 
purely  literary  work,  adding  largely  to  those  of  his 
writings,  both  prose  and  poetry,  by  which  he  will 
longest  be  remembered.  Following  those  years  he 
was  ready  for  a  well-earned  period  of  change  and 
diversion.  His  daughter  was  married  in  April, 
1872,  to  Mr.  Edward  Burnett,  of  Southboro,  Mass. 
In  her  loss  from  the  home,  dear  as  she  was  to  Mrs. 
Lowell  and  her  father  alike,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowell 
now  planned  their  first  joint  trip  to  the  old  world ; 
and  in  July  they  sailed  from  Boston  for  an  absence 
of  two  years.  A  year  was  spent  in  England  and 
France,  but  largely  in  France,  and  the  rest  of  their 
stay  was  given  to  Italy.  Not  a  little  of  the  time, 
both  Lowell  and  his  wife  used  for  the  study  of  the 
language  of  the  country.  "I  am  recovering  a  little 
facility  in  Italian — to  be  lost  again  when  I  get 
beyond  the  daily  sound  of  it,"  wrote  Lowell  in  one 
of  his  letters  to  Charles  Eliot  Norton.  "I  give 

53 


Fanny  a  lesson  every  day  in  the  Promessi  Sposi, 
which  has  so  often  served  as  a  go-cart  to  those  who 
are  learning  to  take  their  first  steps  in  the  language. 
She  reads  aloud  to  me,  so  that  I  save  my  eyes  and 
practice  my  ears  at  the  same  time.  She  is  a  very 
good  scholar  for  she  puts  zeal  into  whatever  she 
does,  and  is  making  great  progress." 1 

In  the  autumn  following  the  return  to  Cam- 
bridge, Lowell  resumed  his  duties  at  Harvard,  and 
also  continued  his  literary  work  in  a  measure.  In 
1877,  early  in  the  administration  of  President 
Hayes,  however,  Mr.  Lowell  was  informed  by  Mr. 
Howells  that  the  president  had  given  him  the 
pleasure  of  asking  the  professor  whether  he  would 
accept  the  mission  to  Austria.  With  the  presi- 
dent's letter,  Mr.  Howells  made  his  way  at  once  to 
Elmwood.  Lowell  read  the  letter  and  then  gave  it 
to  Mrs.  Lowell,  who  was  present.  "She  read  it  in 
a  smiling  and  loyal  reticence,  as  if  she  would  not 
say  one  word  of  all  she  might  wish  to  say  in  urging 
his  acceptance,  though  I  could  see  that  she  was 
intensely  eager  for  it.  ...  A  day  or  two  later," 
adds  Mr.  Howells,  "he  [Lowell]  came  to  my  house 
to  say  that  he  could  not  accept  the  Austrian  mis- 
sion, and  to  ask  me  to  tell  the  president  so  for  him 
and  make  his  acknowledgments,  which  he  would 
also  write  himself.  He  remained  talking  a  little 
while  of  other  things,  and  when  he  rose  to  go  he 

lScudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  II,  171. 

54 


said,  with  a  sigh  of  vague  reluctance,  'I  should  like 
to  see  a  play  of  Calderon,'  as  if  it  had  nothing  to  do 
with  any  wish  of  his  that  could  still  be  fulfilled. 
Upon  this  hint  I  acted,  and  in  due  time  it  was 
found  in  Washington  that  the  gentleman  who  had 
been  offered  the  Spanish  mission  would  as  lief  go 
to  Austria,  and  Lowell  was  sent  to  Madrid."1 

The  Lowells  left  Boston  for  Liverpool  July  14, 
1877,  and  after  delightful  days  in  both  London  and 
Paris  they  reached  Madrid  in  the  middle  of  August. 
In  April,  1878,  an  unexpected  opportunity  opened 
the  way  to  them  for  a  brief  visit  to  Athens  and 
Constantinople,  affording  both  Lowell  and  Mrs. 
Lowell  fascinating  glimpses  of  Greek  and  Oriental 
life.  The  year  following  greatly  intensified  their 
interest  in  life  at  Madrid,  as  well  as  in  matters  con- 
nected with  the  Spanish  mission.  In  the  middle  of 
July,  1879,  however,  Mrs.  Lowell  was  suddenly 
stricken  with  serious  illness.  "It  has  been  typhus 
of  the  most  malignant  kind,"  wrote  Lowell  to  a 
friend  on  the  2oth.  When,  however,  the  fever  had 
run  its  course,  Lowell  could  only  add,  "All  danger 
is  not  yet  over,  but  hope  has  good  grounds.  The 
chances  are  now  in  her  favor,  especially  as  she 
wishes  to  live.  I  will  tell  you  more  hereafter.  God 
be  praised ! "  But  days,  weeks  and  months  of 
anxiety  and  alarm  followed,  bringing  little  relief  to 
Lowell.  Indeed,  it  was  not  until  the  close  of  the 

^cudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  II,  217,  218. 

55 


year  that  the  anxious  strain  was  relaxed,  and  he 
was  relieved  from  the  "terrible  trial,  which  the 
strange  and  alien  country  had  made  worse,"  as  he 
added  in  a  later  letter  to  the  same  friend.  "And  all 
the  while,"  he  continued,  "I  have  had  to  write  cool 
little  bulletins  to  Mabel,  turning  the  fair  side  out- 
ward when  my  heart  was  breaking  with  anxiety 
and  apprehension."1 

During  her  distressing  illness  in  Spain,  Mrs. 
Lowell  was  kept  a  long  time  in  a  darkened  room, 
but  even  under  such  wearisome  conditions  she  was 
not  without  helpful  resources.  After  her  recovery, 
in  letters  to  her  relatives,  she  told  them  of  these 
resources.  In  her  earlier  life  she  had  formed  the 
habit,  she  said,  of  committing  to  memory  her  choic- 
est treasures  of  the  best  authors,  past  and  present, 
in  poetry  and  prose;  and  now  from  this  well-filled 
storehouse  golden  words  thus  gathered  gave  to 
these  dark,  silent  hours  a  joy  and  inspiration  which 
otherwise  they  had  not  known.  By  this  illness,  too, 
Mrs.  Lowell  was  deprived  of  the  use  of  her  right 
hand  for  a  long  time,  if  indeed  she  ever  fully  recov- 
ered its  use.  Characteristically,  when  she  had 
recovered  sufficiently  from  her  illness,  she  trained 
her  left  hand  for  needed  service,  and  so  was  able 
once  more  to  renew  her  touch  with  her  loved  ones 
in  the  homeland.2 

^cudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  II,  252,  253. 

a  letters  from  her  nephew,  James  Russell  Ivowell  Dunlap,  of  Port- 
land, Oregon. 

56 


While  Mrs.  Lowell  was  ill  in  Madrid  the  infor- 
mation reached  Lowell  that  the  president  had 
nominated  him  as  minister  to  England.  It  was 
honorable  promotion,  and  at  any  other  time  it  would 
have  brought  to  Lowell  far  greater  gratification. 
The  nomination  was  confirmed,  and  naturally  there 
followed,  not  long  after,  the  usual  formal  presenta- 
tion of  the  minister  to  the  queen.  Lowell  made 
the  journey  from  Madrid  to  London  with  a  heavy 
heart,  and  then  hurried  back  to  the  bedside  of  his 
wife.  As  spring  opened  he  was  at  length  cheered 
by  improvement  in  Mrs.  Lowell's  health,  and  not 
long  after  he  found  it  possible  to  take  up  his  new 
duties  at  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Mrs.  Lowell's 
painful  experience  with  typhus  fever  in  Spain, 
however,  had  lingering  influences.  In  a  word,  it 
left  her  an  invalid.  While  this  did  not  rob  her 
friends  of  a  gracious  presence,  it  largely  restricted 
her  London  life  to  the  duties  of  her  new  home. 
Only  once  was  she  able  again  to  leave  England,  and 
then  only  for  a  two  months'  sojourn  in  Paris  with 
Mr.  Lowell.  However,  within  the  limitations  which 
her  long  illness  had  imposed,  Mrs.  Lowell  was  able 
to  make  the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the  best 
that  a  London  house  of  a  foreign  ambassador  can 
bring  together;  and  with  all  the  delight  of  other 
days  she  welcomed  and  enjoyed  the  new  honors 
that  were  now  crowning  her  husband's  brilliant 
career. 

57 


The  few  years  thus  passed  brought  much  even 
to  an  invalid.  But  suddenly,  near  the  close  of  Mr. 
Lowell's  service  in  London,  when  he  and  his  wife 
were  fondly  considering  plans  for  the  future,  Mrs. 
Lowell  was  again  stricken  with  illness  for  which  all 
search  for  relief  was  unavailing.  She  died  in  Lon- 
don, February  19,  1885,  only  three  days  before  Mr. 
Lowell's  sixty-sixth  birthday.  In  a  letter  to  Amer- 
ican friends,  who  had  shared  with  him  anxious  days 
in  Madrid  at  the  earlier  time  of  Mrs.  Lowell's  ill- 
ness, Mr.  Lowell  told  the  story  of  these  later  sad, 
sorrowful  experiences:  "What  shall  I  say  to  you, 
even  though  I  have  the  sad  comfort  of  feeling  that 
whatever  I  say  will  be  said  to  those  who  loved  her 
and  knew  the  entire  beauty  of  her  character.  But 
I  must  at  least  say  how  deeply  grateful  I  am  to  you 
whose  friendly  devotion  in  Madrid  did  so  much  to 
prolong  a  life  so  precious.  She  was  given  back  to 
us  for  five  years,  and  for  the  last  two  of  them  was 
hopeful  enough  about  her  health  to  enjoy  her  life. 
She  had  grown  easy  in  her  ceremonial  duties,  and 
(since  the  death  of  her  mother  and  sisters)  had  no 
desire  to  return  home.  It  is  all  bitterly  sad."1 

In  Kensal  Green  Cemetery,  London,  northwest, 
where  are  the  graves  of  Sidney  Smith,  Leigh 
Hunt,  William  M.  Thackeray,  Anthony  Trollope 
and  many  other  well-known  English  authors,  Mrs. 
Lowell  was  buried  February  23rd.  Although  the 

1Scudder,  Biography  of  James  Russell  Lowell,  II,  319. 

58 


burial  service  was  private,  among  the  intimate 
friends  present  were  Mr.  G.  W.  Smalley,  Lady 
Littleton,  Mr.  Leslie  Stephen,  Hon.  Waldegrave 
Leslie  and  Mr.  Henry  James.  Many  beautiful 
wreaths  of  flowers  represented  the  loving  remem- 
brances of  friends,  members  of  the  diplomatic  corps 
and  American  residents  in  London.  The  Prince 
of  Wales  sent  condolences,  while  Mr.  Gladstone, 
then  premier  of  Great  Britain,  called  on  Mr.  Lowell 
in  person  for  a  like  expression  of  sorrow  and  sym- 
pathy. 

In  June  following,  having  closed  his  service  as 
American  minister  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  Mr. 
Lowell  returned  to  his  own  country.  For  awhile 
he  made  his  home  with  his  daughter  at  Southboro, 
Massachusetts,  for  several  years  spending  his  sum- 
mers in  England,  revisiting  scenes  and  friends 
endeared  to  him  and  Mrs.  Lowell  during  their  resi- 
dence among  them.  When  he  returned  in  1889, 
his  daughter  made  a  home  for  him  again  in  Elm- 
wood,  and  there,  amid  scenes  awakening  many  hal- 
lowed memories,  he  died  August  12,  1891.* 

A  few  words  may  be  added  concerning  the  mother 
of  Mrs.  Lowell.  In  his  letter  to  Mr.  Norton  con- 
cerning his  visit  to  Portland  for  the  purpose  of 
making  the  acquaintance  of  the  Dunlap  family,  Mr. 

JMr.  I/owell's  daughter  Mabel  (Mrs.  Edward  Burnett),  died  at 
Elmwood,  December  30,  1898.  The  name  of  her  oldest  child,  James 
Russell  I/owell  Burnett,  was  changed  to  James  Russell  Ivowell,  at  the 
request  of  his  grandfather. 

59 


Lowell  remarked  that  the  mother  was  "a  person  of 
great  character."  Mr.  William  Goold  (to  whom  we 
are  indebted  for  so  many  valuable  notes  concerning 
Portland  people  he  had  known)  described  Mrs. 
Dunlap  in  one  of  these  notes  as  "a  woman  of  great 
dignity,  decision  and  energy,"  adding,  that  in  her 
checkered  life  she  proved  herself  qualified  to  grap- 
ple with  any  vicissitude  she  might  encounter.  In 
other  words,  it  was  because  of  Mrs.  Dunlap's  char- 
acter and  ability  that,  when  she  was  left  alone  to 
the  care  and  management  of  the  limited  family 
resources,  she  was  able  to  make  a  suitable  home  for 
her  children,  and  to  give  them  such  educational 
advantages  as  would  fit  them  for  lives  of  usefulness 
and  honor.  When  at  length,  in  1875,  all  but  one 
of  the  children  had  gone  out  from  the  home  she  had 
lovingly  made,  she  sold  her  Brackett  Street  house 
and  removed  to  Hollis  Center,  Maine,  where  she 
died  October  i,  1882,  aged  ninety-one  years. 

In  accordance  with  an  arrangement  she  herself 
had  doubtless  made,  Mrs.  Dunlap  was  buried  in 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  Portland,1  and  in  the  same 
lot  were  also  buried  her  husband  (Captain  John 
Dunlap)  and  all  her  children,  except  Mrs.  Lowell, 
and  two  sons,  William  Gates  Dunlap  and  John 
Allison  Dunlap.  The  first  of  the  sons,  William 
Gates  Dunlap,  was  graduated  at  Bowdoin  College 

1The  youngest  daughter,  Marcia  L/.  Dunlap,  died  May  10,  1884, 
and  probably  fulfilled  her  mother's  wishes  in  the  arrangement. 

60 


in  the  class  of  1845.  Going  out  into  the  world  like 
many  another  Maine  boy,  he  at  length  settled  in 
Honolulu,  Hawaiian  Islands,  where  he  became  the 
secretary  of  King  Hamahamaha.  Later,  he  was  sent 
by  the  Hawaiian  government  to  Puget  Sound  with 
reference  to  Hawaiian  matters.  When  these  had 
received  his  attention,  he  decided  to  remain,  and 
engaged  in  business  at  Olympia,  Washington  Ter- 
ritory. Subsequently,  with  other  prominent  resi- 
dents of  Olympia  and  Portland,  Oregon,  he  became 
interested  in  the  construction  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad,  and  had  a  part  in  the  beginnings  of  that 
important  enterprise.  He  died  at  Olympia,  June 
16,  1862,  leaving  a  son,  James  Russell  Lowell  Dun- 
lap,  now  a  resident  of  Portland,  Oregon.  John 
Allison  Dunlap  was  associated  with  his  brother  in 
business  in  Olympia,  but  later  he  removed  to  Cali- 
fornia, where,  after  considerable  success,  he  died  in 
I862.1 

1Iylewellyn  Deane,  in  a  paper  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society 
in  1892. 


On  the  day  following  the  reading  of  this  paper 
the  writer  sailed  for  England.  While  in  London 
he  visited  Kensal  Green  Cemetery,  where  Mrs. 
Lowell  was  buried.  It  is  on  the  outskirts  of  the 


61 


great  metropolis,  two  and  a  half  miles  from  Pad- 
dington.  At  the  office  of  the  superintendent,  at  the 
entrance  to  the  cemetery,  information  with  refer- 
ence to  Mrs.  Lowell's  grave  was  obtained,  and  we 
learned  that  at  a  designated  point  on  the  main  ave- 
nue an  official  would  be  found,  who  would  conduct 
us  to  the  Lowell  memorial.  The  main  avenue  of 
the  cemetery  is  crowded  on  either  side  with  costly 
mausoleums  of  varied  architecture.  On  it,  at  some 
distance  from  the  entrance,  our  guide  awaited  us. 
Following  him  we  soon  came  to  a  very  attractive 
part  of  the  inclosure,  and  at  length  the  guide  halted 
in  front  of  two  crosses  of  white  marble,  on  one  of 
which  were  the  names  of  John  Lothrop  Motley  and 
his  wife,  while  on  the  other  was  the  name  of  their 
youngest  daughter,  Susan  Margaret,  wife  of  Lt. 
Col.  Herbert  A.  St.  John  Mildmay.  The  guide,  I 
thought,  supposed  that,  as  Americans,  we  would  be 
interested  in  the  Motley  memorials;  and  I  was  inter- 
ested, for  how  well  I  remembered  that  it  was  John 
Lothrop  Motley,  the  author  of  The  Rise  of  the 
Dutch  Republic,  who  in  England,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  Civil  War,  contributed  to  The  London  Times 
two  exceedingly  illuminating  articles  on  the  causes 
of  our  Civil  War,  presenting  such  an  intelligent, 
graphic  account  of  its  origin  as  the  readers  of  that 
influential  London  journal  needed.  These  two  arti- 
cles were  reprinted  in  prominent  papers  on  this 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  and  Mr.  Motley's  distinguished 

62 


MRS.  LOWELL'S  MEMORIAL  IN  KENSAL  GREEN 
CEMETERY,  LONDON. 


services  in  the  preparation  of  these  articles  were 
promptly  and  heartily  welcomed  by  President  Lin- 
coln and  the  loyal  people  of  the  northern  states. 

But  this  was  not  in  the  thought  of  our  guide,  for 
while  we  were  reading  the  Motley  inscriptions,  he 
was  saying,  "Mrs.  Lowell's  grave  is  under  the  shrub- 
bery in  the  adjoining  lot" ;  and  as  we  followed  the 
guide  we  saw  that,  though  Mrs.  Lowell  was  buried 
in  a  London  cemetery,  she  was  by  the  side  of  her 
own  and  her  husband's  very  dear  friends.  When 
we  had  passed  round  the  Motley  memorials,  the 
guide  threw  back  the  thick,  overhanging  shrubbery 
on  the  Lowell  lot  and  uncovered  a  corner  of  the 
delicately  carved  memorial  over  Mrs.  Lowell's  grave. 
The  loveliness  of  the  carving  at  once  attracted 
attention.  Closer  examination  showed  that  on  the 
marble  slab,  upheld  by  the  columns  at  the  four  cor- 
ners of  the  memorial,  rested  a  cross  in  high  relief 
extending  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  grave ; 
while  on  the  ground,  and  within  the  bases  of  the 
memorial,  was  another  marble  slab  bearing  this 
inscription : 

FRANCES  DUNLAP  LOWELL, 

Wife  of  James  Russell  Lowell, 

Born  in  Brunswick,  Maine,  March,  20,  1826, 

Died  in  London,  February  19,  1885. 

Photographs  of  the  Lowell  and  Motley  memori- 
als were  taken  by  my  daughter.  Of  course  I  did 

63 


not  forget  the  sorrows  of  the  Motleys.  Mr.  Motley, 
who  was  made  our  minister  to  Austria  by  President 
Lincoln,  was  appointed  our  ambassador  to  Great 
Britain  by  President  Grant  in  1869.  Not  long 
after  followed  Mr.  Motley's  recall.  The  story  is 
told  by  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes  in  \\\§  John  Lothrop 
Motley,  A  Memoir.  The  Motleys  did  not  return  to 
this  country.  Mrs.  Motley  died  in  1874  and  Mr. 
Motley  in  1877.  Not  without  deep  significance  on 
the  latter's  memorial  are  the  words,  "Truth  shall 
make  you  free." 


64 


MEMORIAL  OF 
MR.  AND  MRS.  JOHN  LOTHROP  MOTLEY. 


JAMES  PHINNEY  BAXTER. 


JAMES  PHINNEY  BAXTER. 

Read  before  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  February  23,  1922. 


James  Phinney  Baxter  was  born  in  Gorham, 
Maine,  March  23,  1831.  He  was  the  last  born  of 
six  children.  His  father,  Dr.  Elihu  Baxter,  a  native 
of  Norwich,  Vermont,  was  a  physician  of  large  prac- 
tice in  and  around  Gorham.  His  mother,  born  in 
Bolton,  Connecticut,  and  connected  with  prominent 
families  in  that  state,  brought  into  her  new  home 
not  only  a  gracious  presence,  but  those  qualities  of 
mind  and  heart  which  are  abiding  adornments. 
Gorham  is  an  old  and  very  attractive  New  England 
town  with  traditions  that  exalt  prompt,  patriotic  and 
genuine  public  service.  At  the  time  of  Mr.  Baxter's 
birth,  Gorham,  in  point  of  time,  was  not  so  far 
removed  from  the  Revolutionary  War  as  we  now 
are  from  our  Civil  War ;  and  there  were  still  living 
in  the  town  those  who  had  participated  in  the  bat- 
tles and  campaigns  of  that  long  and  arduous  patri- 
otic struggle.  Mr.  Baxter's  middle  name,  Phinney, 
was  the  name  of  Gorham's  Revolutionary  hero, 
Colonel  Edmund  Phinney. 

In  1840,  Dr.  Baxter  made  Portland  his  residence, 
continuing  there  on  Pleasant  Street  his  professional 

67 


activities  and  securing  for  his  wife  and  children  the 
advantages  which  a  large,  growing  and  prosperous 
community  affords.  To  James,  a  bright,  active  boy 
of  nine  years,  such  a  change  had  many  attractions. 
Portland  became  a  city  in  1832.  It  is  beautiful 
for  situation  and  has  many  historic  memories  from 
the  beginnings  of  colonial  Maine.  What  Portland 
meant  to  another  boy  in  Portland,  Longfellow  had 
already  lovingly  recorded  in  his  poem,  "My  Lost 
Youth."  All  this  the  boy  from  Gorham  now  saw: 
"the  places  and  streets  of  that  dear  old  town,"  "the 
black  wharves,"  "the  Spanish  sailors  with  bearded 
lips,"  "the  sheen  of  the  far  surrounding  seas,"  "the 
fort  upon  the  hill,"  the  graves  of  "the  dead  captains" 
in  the  cemetery  "overlooking  the  tranquil  bay,"  and 
he  heard  "the  sunrise  gun"  and  the  "bugle  wild  and 
shrill"  from  Fort  Preble,  on  one  side  of  the  town, 
while  on  the  other  he  looked  down  upon  "the  breezy 
dome  of  groves  and  the  shadows  of  Deering's 
Woods."  All  these  became  the  prized  possession 
of  the  boy  from  Gorham,  and  they  were  lovingly 
recalled,  many  years  later,  in  such  poems  of  his  own, 
beautifully  illustrated,  as  "The  Observatory"  and 
"The  First  Parish  Vane" ;  while  of  two  of  his  boy- 
hood playmates  in  Portland,  George  E.  B.  Jackson 
and  Edward  H.  Elwell,  he  recorded,  also  late  in  life, 
cherished  memories  in  a  poem  entitled  "Gools.  All 
In." 

A  love  of  poetry  was  an  early  unfolding  of   Mr. 

68 


Baxter's  many-sided  character.  The  poets,  Amer- 
ican and  English,  won  his  affections,  and  in  their 
pages  he  found  not  only  interest  but  inspiration. 
Very  naturally,  his  earliest  publications  were  con- 
tributions to  the  poetry  columns  of  the  Portland 
Transcript  and  other  papers.  Very  early,  also,  his 
reading  took  a  wide  range,  including  the  writings 
of  the  best  English  and  American  prose  authors. 
When  twelve  years  of  age  he  began  a  course  in 
reading  that  included  the  works  of  Addison,  and 
the  plays  of  Shakespeare;  while  a  little  later  he 
turned  to  the  leading  authors  of  fiction,  American, 
English  and  Scotch.  In  a  single  winter,  when 
about  thirteen  years  old,  as  he  tells  us,  he  read 
more  than  one  hundred  volumes.  From  Master 
Jackson's  school  in  Portland,  Mr.  Baxter  passed  to 
Lynn  Academy  in  Lynn,  Massachusetts,  where  he 
remained  two  years.  Then,  returning  to  Portland, 
he  continued  his  studies  in  the  old  Portland  Acad- 
emy, availing  himself  later  of  the  services  of  private 
instruction  in  the  French,  German  and  Spanish 
languages. 

In  Mr.  Baxter's  boyhood,  youth  and  early  man- 
hood, however,  other  influences  were  forceful  in  his 
development.  The  period  was  one  of  increasing 
intellectual  activity  in  New  England.  Lyceums, 
libraries,  debating  societies  were  much  in  evidence. 
The  lecturer  and  the  orator  were  abroad.  Emerson, 
and  many  lesser  lights,  went  everywhere.  It  was  a 

69 


period  also  of  tumultuous  moral  upheaval.  In  the 
year  preceding  Mr.  Baxter's  birth,  Robert  Y.  Hayne, 
of  South  Carolina,  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States,  sounded  the  disturbing  note  of  secession. 
Anti-slavery  societies  were  organized.  Garrison 
and  Wendell  Phillips  were  the  apostles  of  freedom, 
pleading  the  cause  of  the  slave.  The  poets,  Long- 
fellow and  Whittier,  Lowell  and  Holmes,  were  no 
less  forceful  in  reaching  the  popular  heart  and  in 
carrying  the  appeal  for  human  rights  into  political 
fields,  preparing  the  way  for  new  political  align- 
ments. In  Maine,  George  Evans,  Hannibal  Ham- 
lin,  Israel  Washburn,  the  Morrills,  William  Pitt 
Fessenden  and  others  were  sounding  the  battle  cry 
of  freedom  in  the  fifties.  Under  such  influences 
Mr.  Baxter's  political  principles  and  sympathies 
were  so  shaped  that  naturally  and  whole-heartedly 
he  found  his  place  among  the  opponents  of  slavery 
and  the  advocates  of  equal  rights  and  privileges. 

But  where  should  he  find  his  life-work  ?  At  first 
he  turned  to  the  profession  of  law  as  affording  a 
suitable  field  for  useful  and  honorable  service ;  and 
an  arrangement  was  made  in  accordance  with  which 
he  was  to  receive  his  training  for  such  service  in 
the  office  of  Rufus  Choate,  then  the  most  prominent 
of  the  members  of  the  Boston  bar.  It  was  a  rare 
opportunity  for  a  young  man,  who  had  so  favorably 
commended  himself  to  Mr.  Choate  as  to  secure  the 
advantages  that  were  now  open  to  him.  But  life 

70 


has  its  changes.  The  circumstances  of  to-day  are 
not  always  the  circumstances  of  to-morrow.  In  the 
earlier  half  of  the  last  century  financial  disturbances 
not  unfrequently  brought  upon  the  country  much 
hardship  and  even  distress.  In  one  of  these  crises 
Mr.  Baxter's  father  suffered  to  such  an  extent  that 
his  accumulations  of  property  were  suddenly  swept 
away.  When  tidings  of  the  family  misfortune 
reached  the  son  in  Boston,  he  was  not  long  in  set- 
tling his  question  of  duty  with  reference  to  a 
changed  situation;  and  he  decided  to  forego  the 
advantages  of  his  position  in  the  office  of  Mr. 
Choate,  return  to  Portland,  and  at  once  relieve  his 
father  of  any  anxious  moments  with  reference  to  his 
son's  future.  Mr.  Choate's  relations  to  young  men 
looking  forward  to  the  profession  of  law  are  well 
known,  and,  when  his  office-student's  decision  was 
made  known  to  him,  encouraging  and  helpful  words 
were  not  wanting,  we  may  be  sure.  But  Mr.  Bax- 
ter carefully,  thoughtfully  had  taken  into  considera- 
tion ways  and  means  by  which  he  might  best  meet 
the  requirements  of  the  hour;  and  he  determined, 
in  returning  to  Portland,  to  seek  some  kind  of  work 
in  which  with  diligence  and  energy  he  could  make 
himself  master  of  his  changed  circumstances. 

He  certainly  made  no  mistake  in  directing  his 
attention  to  a  business  career ;  and  we  may  be  sure 
we  shall  not  go  far  astray  if  we  think  of  Mr.  Baxter's 
love  of  Portland  as  the  determining  factor  in  solv- 

71 


ing  the  problem  of  location.  As  to  business  open- 
ings here  at  that  time  there  was  of  course  thorough 
consideration.  Mr.  Baxter  was  soon  in  consultation 
with  Mr.  William  G.  Davis,  a  young  man  of  like 
aims  and  purposes,  resulting  in  a  short  time  in  their 
establishment  of  a  dry  goods  store  on  Congress 
Street  under  the  firm  name  of  Davis  &  Baxter. 
The  undertaking  was  successful  from  the  outset. 
Enterprise  and  good  management  characterized 
their  business  affairs,  affording  them,  after  a  few 
years,  ample  resources  for  larger  undertakings  when- 
ever the  opportunity  should  offer.  Such  an  oppor- 
tunity at  length  appeared  in  connection  with  a  new 
industry  for  preserving  food  products  in  hermet- 
ically sealed  cans.  Its  possibilities  were  such  that 
Davis  &  Baxter  withdrew  from  the  dry  goods  trade, 
and  transferred  their  activities  to  a  new  location, 
continuing  the  firm  name  as  hitherto.  The  enlarge- 
ment of  their  plant,  following  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War  (which  added  largely  to  the  call  for  such 
food  products),  led  to  the  organization  of  the  Port- 
land Packing  Company  for  its  management,  with 
Mr.  Davis  and  Mr.  Baxter  directing  its  affairs. 

In  these  days  of  business  enterprise  and  increas- 
ing prosperity,  Mr.  Baxter  never  allowed  himself  to 
make  his  daily  tasks  the  sole  concern  of  life.  He 
was  happily  married,  and  his  home  and  family 
surroundings  brought  to  him  rest,  enjoyment  and 
refreshment.  Books  added  inspiration.  They  also 

72 


broadened  and  enriched  his  daily  life.  In  the  his- 
tory of  his  native  state  he  had  found  a  deep  and 
growing  interest.  Indeed,  so  strongly  had  he  been 
influenced  in  his  historical  reading  and  study  that 
when  he  had  obtained  an  ample  competence,  he  with- 
drew from  active  business  life  and  seized  coveted 
opportunities  for  historical  investigations  and  col- 
lections of  materials  having  reference  to  the  early 
history  of  Maine.  Most  men,  who  at  Mr.  Baxter's 
period  of  life  had  secured  affluence,  and  desired  to 
be  released  from  the  burdens  they  have  hitherto 
borne,  find  a  difficulty  in  their  search  for  relief. 
An  active  mind  cannot  be  satisfied  with  idleness. 
Disappointment  naturally  follows.  Mr.  Baxter  had 
builded  wisely,  and  he  was  prepared  for  entrance 
into  the  pursuits  of  "delightful  studies."  The 
change  was  accordingly  made,  and,  in  the  full 
strength  of  his  powers,  he  was  free  to  devote  him- 
self to  those  private  personal  interests  that  had 
become  increasingly  attractive. 

By  its  act  of  incorporation  the  Maine  Historical 
Society  was  located  in  Brunswick,  and  a  room  for 
its  library  and  cabinet  was  provided  by  the  admin- 
istrative officers  of  Bowdoin  College.  In  1876, 
largely  on  the  part  of  some  of  the  Portland  mem- 
bers, an  effort  was  made  for  the  transfer  of  the 
society's  library  and  cabinet  to  Portland  as  neces- 
sary to  its  increased  usefulness ;  but  the  effort  was 
unsuccessful.  Mr.  Baxter  was  elected  a  member 

73 


of  the  society  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1878.  A 
visit  which  he  made  to  Brunswick  not  long  after 
brought  him  at  once  to  the  side  of  those  who  were 
in  favor  of  removal ;  and  the  effort  at  length  was 
renewed  with  the  result  that,  early  in  1881,  the 
society  was  established  in  rooms  in  the  City  Build- 
ing, Portland,  recently  vacated  by  the  Portland 
Society  of  Natural  History  upon  the  completion  of 
its  new  building  on  Elm  Street.  In  this  movement 
Mr.  Baxter's  assistance  was  of  very  great  value. 
At  one  of  the  meetings  of  the  society  not  long  after 
he  asked  for  the  appointment  of  a  committee  on 
maps,  antiquities,  relics,  portraits,  etc.  In  present- 
ing the  need  and  importance  of  such  a  committee, 
Mr.  Baxter  not  only  sought  to  interest  the  members 
of  the  society  in  an  effort  to  add  such  treasures,  but 
he  expressed  the  hope  that  the  people  in  the  state 
would  assist  in  the  effort.  This  was  a  call  to  which 
there  was  an  early  response,  and  valuable  contribu- 
tions to  the  library  and  cabinet  soon  began  to  find 
their  way  to  the  society's  new  quarters. 

About  this  time,  also,  Mr.  Baxter's  interest  in 
historical  concerns  was  greatly  quickened  by  a  serv- 
ice that  came  to  him  suddenly,  unexpectedly.  In 
1872,  Mr.  John  Wingate  Thornton,  of  Boston,  but 
a  native  of  Saco,  Maine,  noticed  in  an  English  cata- 
logue the  advertisement  of  a  document  containing 
an  autograph  signature  of  Robert  Trelawny.  This 
was  the  name  of  one  of  the  two  grantees  of  land  on 

74 


Cape  Elizabeth  made  in  1631  by  the  President  and 
Council  for  New  England ;  and  Mr.  Thornton, 
interested  in  matters  relating  to  the  beginnings  of 
colonial  Maine,  wrote  to  the  advertiser  and  asked 
him  concerning  the  document.  Informed  in  reply 
that  the  document  had  been  sold  to  the  Rev.  C.  T. 
Collins  Trelawny,  of  Ham,  near  Plymouth,  England, 
Mr.  Thornton  opened  a  correspondence  with  him 
and  learned  that  he  was  a  descendant  of  Robert 
Trelawny ;  also  that  in  Robert  Trelawny's  ancient 
home,  in  which  he  was  living,  there  was  a  chest 
containing  his  ancestor's  papers  relating  to  Rich- 
mond's Island  and  vicinity;  and  further  that  the 
original  patent,  which  Willis,  in  his  "History  of 
Maine,"  had  mentioned  as  having  been  carelessly 
destroyed  by  fire  early  on  this  side  of  the  sea,  was 
also  there.  Naturally  the  Maine  Historical  Society 
desired  to  obtain  possession  of  these  papers,  and 
Mr.  Thornton,  in  1875,  was  asked  by  the  society  to 
use  his  influence  in  such  an  effort  with  a  view  to 
their  publication  in  a  volume  properly  edited,  with 
a  memoir  of  Robert  Trelawny,  the  whole  to  be  enti. 
tied  "The  Trelawny  Papers."  Mr.  Thornton  was 
successful  in  making  such  an  arrangement,  with  the 
understanding  that  the  papers  should  be  copied  and 
the  originals  returned  to  Mr.  Collins  Trelawny.  In 
this  way  the  papers  soon  came  into  the  possession 
of  Mr.  Thornton,  and  their  publication  was  entrusted 
to  him.  Early  in  1878,  however,  the  serious  illness 

75 


of  Mr.  Thornton  was  announced,  and  his  death 
occurred  in  June  following.  The  work  of  editing  and 
printing  the  Trelawny  papers  was  then  entrusted 
to  General  John  Marshall  Brown.  He  accepted  the 
appointment,  and  had  entered  upon  the  work,  when, 
owing  to  a  pressure  of  business  consequent  upon 
the  death  of  his  father,  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish 
the  task,  and  Mr.  Baxter  was  requested  to  take 
General  Brown's  place.  Such  service  he  not  only 
welcomed,  but  he  had  abundant  leisure  for  its  pros- 
ecution. With  thoroughness  and  enthusiasm  the 
manuscript  material  was  carefully  copied  and  prop- 
erly arranged;  numerous  explanatory  notes  were 
prepared  showing  the  connection  of  the  correspond- 
ence with  contemporary  history,  and  also  furnishing 
additional  information  relating  to  persons  men- 
tioned, all  adding  greatly  to  the  value  of  the  vol- 
ume. Mr.  Baxter  also  provided  introductory  mate- 
rial, including  a  facsimile  copy  of  the  Trelawny 
and  Goodyear  grant,  maps,  etc.,  and  an  appendix 
containing  contributions  of  great  collateral  interest. 
The  Rev.  Charles  T.  Collins  Trelawny  also  added 
a  carefully  prepared  memorial  of  his  ancestor, 
Robert  Trelawny.  This,  too,  was  a  timely  service, 
for  Mr.  Collins  Trelawny  soon  died  in  the  ancient 
home  of  his  ancestor  near  Plymouth;  and  Mr.  Bax- 
ter, at  the  close  of  the  Trelawny  memorial,  inserted 
an  appropriate  tribute  to  his  memory.  It  was  Mr. 
Collins  Trelawny's  wish  that  the  Trelawny  originals 

76 


on  this  side  of  the  sea  should  now  remain  in  Maine, 
and  accordingly  they  have  a  place  among  the  most 
valuable  manuscript  treasures  in  the  possession  of 
the  Maine  Historical  Society.  These  papers,  as 
edited  by  Mr.  Baxter,  were  published  in  1884  as  the 
third  volume  of  the  society's  Documentary  Series 
under  the  title,  "The  Trelawny  Papers,"  and  the 
volume  was  at  once  recognized  widely  as  a  valuable 
addition  to  our  knowledge  of  early  beginnings  on 
the  Maine  coast 

While  Mr.  Baxter  was  preparing  this  volume  for 
publication,  two  meetings  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society  occurred  that  were  of  special  interest,  at 
each  of  which  Mr.  Baxter  returned  to  verse  in  his 
expression  of  congratulation  to  personal  friends. 
One  of  these  meetings  was  in  honor  of  Longfel- 
low's seventy-fifth  birthday,  February  27,  1882.  On 
account  of  the  general  interest  in  the  day  in  Port- 
land, the  poet's  birthplace,  the  meeting  was  held  in 
the  City  Hall.  Mr.  Baxter's  contribution,  entitled 
"Laus  Laudati,"  gave  fitting  expression  to  the  high 
honor  in  which  the  venerable  poet  was  held  in  his 
native  city,  and  the  exalted  position  he  had  reached 
in  the  world's  Hall  of  Fame  in  a  long  and  memora- 
ble career;  and  as  Mr.  Baxter  closed  his  tribute  of 
praise  he  crowned  a  bust  of  Longfellow  with  a 
wreath  of  oak  leaves  from  Deering's  Oaks.  It  was 
a  day  of  great  memories  in  Portland  and  Cam- 
bridge. The  joy,  however,  was  soon  turned  into 

77 


grief.  Mr.  Longfellow  died  at  his  home  in  Cam- 
bridge on  March  24th,  less  than  a  month  following 
his  seventy-fifth  birthday. 

The  other  celebration  mentioned  had  reference 
to  the  eighty-fourth  birthday  of  Professor  A.  S. 
Packard,  of  Bowdoin  College.  This  was  observed 
by  the  Maine  Historical  Society  December  23, 
1882,  in  Portland.  Longfellow,  at  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  his  graduation  at  Bowdoin,  in  lines  since 
often  quoted,  had  affectionately  referred  to  Professor 
Packard.  Mr.  Baxter  now,  also  in  verse,  entitled 
"Greetings  to  the  Mentor,"  called  attention  to  Long- 
fellow's tribute  to  the  "faithful  teacher,"  and  exalted 
"those  august  ones,"  the  great  teachers, 

"Whose  work  the  world  must  say  hath  been  well  done." 

How  early  Mr.  Baxter  became  interested  in  mat- 
ters relating  to  art  we  are  not  told.  Evidently  it 
was  earlier  than  the  period  now  reached  when  he 
had  long  been  an  intimate  friend  of  Mr.  Harry 
Brown,  of  Portland,  whose  paintings  illustrating  our 
bold,  rocky  Maine  coast  had  won  for  him  more  than 
local  distinction.  Mr.  Baxter  found  delight  and 
inspiration  in  accompanying  Mr.  Brown  in  his  out- 
of-door  work,  and  in  this  way,  doubtless,  his  excur- 
sions into  places  attractive  to  an  artist's  eye  began. 
When  the  Portland  Society  of  Art  was  organized 
March  3,  1882,  its  first  meeting  was  at  Mr.  Baxter's 
residence  on  Deering  Street,  and  he  was  its  first 
president.  It  was  on  land  that  he  had  purchased  in 

78 


the  rear  of  what  is  now  the  Portland  Public  Library 
that,  in  the  latter  part  of  1883,  a  small  but  very 
attractive  house  was  erected  from  plans  made  by 
Mr.  John  Calvin  Stevens,  and  soon  became  the  cen- 
ter of  art  interests  in  Portland.  Unquestionably 
because  of  that  modest  beginning,  influences  at 
length  opened  the  way  for  the  larger  accommoda- 
tions of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art  in  the  L.  D.  M. 
Sweat  Memorial,  on  the  corner  of  High  and  Spring 
Streets,  dedicated  April  22,  1911. 

Shortly  after  Mr.  Longfellow's  death,  and  under 
the  direction  of  a  large  committee  in  England,  of 
which  Edward,  Prince  of  Wales,  was  the  chairman, 
a  marble  bust  of  the  poet,  made  by  Thomas  Brock, 
F.  R.  A.,  was  given  a  place  in  Poet's  Corner,  West- 
minster Abbey.  Only  two  Americans,  Longfellow 
and  Lowell,  have  received  the  honor  of  a  place  in 
the  Abbey,  and  Longfellow  was  the  first.  At  the 
last  meeting  of  the  committee  the  artist  was  directed 
to  prepare  two  copies  of  the  bust  in  plaster,  one  to 
be  presented  to  Harvard  University,  and  one  to  the 
Maine  Historical  Society.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
society's  gift  arrangements  were  made  for  a  public 
meeting  in  City  Hall  on  February  27,  1885,  the 
seventy-eighth  anniversary  of  Longfellow's  birth. 
At  this  meeting,  with  the  hall  crowded  to  the  limit 
of  its  capacity,  Mr.  Baxter  presided  and  made  an 
address,  in  which,  having  told  the  story  of  the  gift, 
he  called  attention  to  its  significance,  not  only  as 

79 


conferring  high  honor  on  an  American  poet,  but 
as  binding  more  strongly  the  two  great  English 
speaking  nations;  and  as  he  closed  his  address  he 
unveiled  the  bust.  The  whole  evening  was  a  mem- 
orable one  in  the  history  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society. 

By  this  time,  and  especially  in  connection  with 
his  work  on  the  Trelawny  papers,  Mr.  Baxter  saw 
the  need  of  a  society  for  the  preparation  and  publi- 
cation of  a  series  of  monographs  having  reference 
to  voyages  and  discoveries  on  the  coast  of  Maine  at 
the  opening  of  the  seventeenth  century.  Accord- 
ingly he  brought  together  in  his  home  one  evening 
a  few  members  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society 
to  whom  he  suggested  the  organization  of  such  a 
society.  His  enthusiasm  in  presenting  the  matter, 
and  his  suggestions  as  to  financial  considerations, 
were  most  helpful,  and  such  a  society,  known  as 
"The  Gorges  Society,"  recalling  the  prominence 
of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  in  early  enterprises  on 
our  Maine  coast,  was  organized  with  Mr.  Baxter  as 
president.  In  fact,  from  material  in  the  Trelawny 
papers  and  also  obtained  in  England  through  adver- 
tisements in  English  periodicals  and  corespondence 
with  English  antiquaries,  Mr.  Baxter  already  had  in 
preparation  a  monograph  on  George  Cleeve,  which 
was  published  by  the  Gorges  Society  in  1885,  under 
the  title  "George  Cleeve  of  Casco  Bay,  1630-1667," 
though  a  better  title  perhaps  is  found  in  the  page 

80 


headings  of  the  volume  "George  Cleeve  and  His 
Times."  In  the  Trelawny  papers  Mr.  Baxter  found 
George  Cleeve  living  in  1631  with  his  wife  and 
daughter  at  the  mouth  of  the  Spurwink  River  on 
Cape  Elizabeth,  not  far  from  Richmond's  Island. 
Cleeve  was  soon  informed  by  John  Winter,  Tre- 
lawny's  agent,  that  he  was  trespassing  on  the  rights 
of  others;  and,  because  of  the  proof  which  the  agent 
was  able  to  furnish,  Cleeve,  with  his  family  and  a  part- 
ner by  the  name  of  Richard  Tucker,  passed  around 
the  rocky  point  where  the  Two  Lights1  of  Cape 
Elizabeth  have  long  been  located,  entered  Casco 
Bay,  and  made  their  future  home  on  the  neck  of  land 
then  known  by  its  Indian  name  Machegonne.  Mr. 
Baxter's  volume  is  the  story  of  George  Cleeve's  pos- 
session of  Machegonne,  and  of  his  efforts  and  trials 
of  many  kinds  connected  therewith.  It  makes  a 
volume  of  three  hundred  and  thirty-three  pages 
including  collateral  documents  relating  to  Cleeve. 
At  a  field-day  excursion  to  Richmond's  Island,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1884,  Mr.  Baxter  gave  the  members  of 
the  Maine  Historical  Society  and  their  guests  a 
very  vivid  account  of  early  matters  on  this  part  of 
the  Maine  coast  from  materials  with  which  he  had 
made  himself  familiar  in  his  preparation  of  the  Tre- 
lawny papers,  and  of  his  volume  on  George  Cleeve. 
Mr.  Baxter  was  now  fifty-four  years  of  age.  His 
work  on  the  two  volumes  just  mentioned  had  taught 

JOne  light  has  recently  been  discontinued. 
6  81 


him  the  importance  and  value  of  original  manu- 
script material  as  sources  of  history,  and  had  sug- 
gested the  reward  awaiting  researches  for  added 
material  in  England  and  France  relating  to  our 
early  colonial  history.  Accordingly  he  now  made 
arrangements  for  spending  the  rest  of  the  year  1885, 
and  the  larger  part  of  1886,  in  England  and  France, 
his  family  accompanying  him.  London  was  made 
the  center  of  his  historical  activities  in  England, 
because  of  the  large  manuscript  collections  in  the 
British  Museum,  the  London  Record  Office,  the 
library  at  Lambeth  Palace  and  in  many  private 
collections.  He  also  visited  Bristol  and  Plymouth 
for  manuscripts  relating  to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges, 
so  prominent  in  connection  with  the  discovery  and 
colonization  of  the  Maine  coast,  also  one  of  the  par- 
ties in  the  grant  of  the  Province  of  Maine  in  1622. 
Later,  Mr.  Baxter  made  his  way  to  Paris,  where 
he  made  diligent  search  for  manuscript  material 
having  reference  to  French  discovery  and  settle- 
ments in  Canada,  and  the  efforts  of  the  French 
government  to  extend  its  influence  southward  into 
the  Province  of  Maine  through  missionaries  and 
the  Indians.  Both  in  England  and  France  Mr. 
Baxter's  researches  were  richly  rewarded,  and  he 
returned  home  in  the  latter  part  of  1886,  having  in 
this  visit  not  only  broadened  his  outlook  upon 
nations  and  peoples,  but  having  added  greatly  to 
his  equipment  for  historical  achievements. 

82 


One  of  his  discoveries  in  the  British  Museum 
was  a  manuscript  journal  kept  by  an  English  officer 
serving  in  the  military  movements  of  Carleton  and 
Burgoyne,  southward  from  Canada,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Mr.  Baxter  asked 
and  received  permission  to  have  the  journal  copied. 
What  gave  the  manuscript  especial  value,  aside 
from  the  information  it  contained  with  reference  to 
that  movement,  was  the  fact  that  it  was  not  written 
day  by  day  in  the  course  of  a  strenuous  military 
campaign,  but  afterward  when  the  author  had  the 
needed  leisure  for  such  a  task.  During  the  time 
the  copy  of  the  manuscript  was  in  preparation, 
because  of  the  facilities  the  British  Museum  offered 
for  obtaining  material  for  explanatory  notes  that 
would  be  helpful  to  American  readers,  Mr.  Baxter 
laid  aside  other  work  in  which  he  was  engaged  and 
devoted  himself  to  the  preparation  of  such  notes. 
On  his  arrival  in  Portland,  accordingly,  his  account 
of  this  campaign  and  his  annotations  relating  to  the 
journal  were  so  far  advanced  that  he  was  able  in  a 
short  time  to  proceed  to  publication ;  and  the  work 
appeared  in  1887  from  the  press  of  Joel  Munsell 
&  Sons,  Albany,  N.  Y.,  with  the  title  "The  British 
Invasion  from  the  North.  The  campaigns  of  Gen- 
erals Carleton  and  Burgoyne  from  Canada,  1776, 
1777.  With  the  Journal  of  Lieutenant  William 
Digby  of  the  Fifty-third  Shropshire  Regiment  of 
Foot.  Illustrated  with  Historical  Notes."  The 

83 


work  brought  to  Mr.  Baxter  a  wider  circle  of  read- 
ers than  he  had  hitherto  reached,  and  enlarged  his 
literary  reputation. 

The  Maine  Historical  Society  had  now  been  in 
the  City  Building,  Portland,  a  little  more  than  six 
years.  But  the  rooms  in  use  by  the  society  were 
on  the  upper  floor  of  the  building,  and  in  case  of 
fire  the  society's  loss  in  its  library  and  cabinet 
would  hardly  have  been  less  than  irreparable.  In 
connection  with  a  meeting  held  June  10,  1887, 
Professor  Chapman,  of  Bowdoin  College,  who  pre- 
sided, announced  that  Mr.  Baxter,  in  planning  a 
new  home  for  the  Portland  Public  Library,  had 
included  in  his  plan  ample  accommodations  for  the 
Maine  Historical  Society. 

This  building,  located  on  Congress  Street, 
between  High  and  State  Streets,  bears  on  its  front, 
carved  in  stone  over  the  entrance,  the  inscription, 
"The  Baxter  Building."  To  the  Maine  Historical 
Society  were  assigned  the  large  room  on  the  left  of 
the  entrance  to  the  building,  the  basement  under 
this  room,  and  the  large  hall  on  the  second  floor. 
It  was  Mr.  Baxter's  hope  that  this  hall  would  be  in 
frequent  use,  not  only  for  the  society's  meetings,  but 
for  public  lectures,  etc.  In  this  hope  he  was  dis- 
appointed, and  at  length  an  arrangement  was  made 
in  accordance  with  which  the  Historical  Society 
removed  its  library  and  collections  to  the  hall,  and 
the  vacated  room  on  the  first  floor  became  the  ref- 

84 


erence  room  of  the  Public  Library.  This  arrange- 
ment gave  to  the  Historical  Society  ampler  accom- 
modations for  its  library  and  cabinet,  while  at  the 
same  time  suitable  accommodations  for  the  soci- 
ety's meetings  still  remained.  The  new  quarters 
were  opened  February  22,  1889,  and  a  meeting  of 
the  society  in  the  afternoon  of  that  day  was  made  a 
dedicatory  service. 

About  this  time  Mr.  Baxter  extended  his  benefac- 
tions to  his  native  town  by  presenting  to  Gorham, 
also,  a  public  library  building.  Another  gift  from 
the  same  source  not  long  after  followed,  by  which 
the  Baxter  home  in  Gorham  was  made  the  property 
of  the  town,  to  be  used  as  a  museum. 

Very  early,  it  may  be  while  he  was  at  work  on 
the  Trelawny  papers,  Mr.  Baxter  commenced  the 
collection  of  manuscript  material  relating  to  Maine, 
having  in  view  the  preparation  of  a  history  of  the 
state  from  the  beginnings  of  the  period  of  discovery 
and  colonization.  In  this  he  had  the  assistance  of 
competent  research  workers  and  copyists  on  both 
sides  of  the  sea.  But  while  the  work  was  in  prog- 
ress, and  he  was  engaged  in  preparing  for  publica- 
tion the  material  for  quite  a  number  of  monographs 
secured  during  his  residence  abroad,  he  decided  to 
limit  himself  to  this  work,  and  leave  to  other  hands 
the  use  of  this  large  collection  of  source  material 
relating  to  Maine.  He  had  especially  in  view  the 
use  of  such  material  by  members  of  the  Maine  His- 

85 


torical  Society,  or  of  county  historical  societies, 
whose  organization  he  had  advocated  and  in  vari- 
ous ways  had  sought  to  promote.  He  accordingly 
brought  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  the  standing 
committee  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  and 
announced  his  purpose  to  give  this  material  to  the 
society,  adding  the  suggestion  that  it  should  be 
printed  and  made  a  part  of  the  society's  Documen- 
tary Series  of  publications,  of  which  three  volumes 
already  had  been  issued. 

The  publication  of  such  a  large  amount  of  manu- 
script material,  however,  involved  an  expenditure 
requiring  assistance;  and  as  the  state  of  Maine 
would  be  benefited  by  the  publication — her  histori- 
cal manuscript  originals  being  chiefly  in  the  archives 
of  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts — he  added 
the  suggestion  that  the  assistance  of  the  Legislature 
of  Maine  should  be  sought  in  such  an  undertak- 
ing. This  gift  to  the  society  was  accepted,  and  Mr. 
Baxter,  with  other  members  of  the  society,  appeared 
before  a  committee  of  the  Maine  Legislature  in  the 
society's  behalf,  with  the  result  that  the  governor 
and  council  were  authorized  to  enter  into  a  contract 
with  the  Maine  Historical  Society  for  the  publica- 
tion of  early  documents,  charters  and  other  papers 
illustrating  the  history  of  Maine,  the  state  to  pay  to 
the  society  the  sum  of  two  dollars  a  copy  for  each 
volume  of  five  hundred  copies  delivered  to  the  state 
librarian.  The  first  of  these  volumes,  known  as 

86 


"Baxter  Manuscripts"  (Volume  IV,  Documentary 
Series),  was  published  in  1889.  Nineteen  volumes 
containing  this  manuscript  material  have  since  been 
printed,  the  last  in  1916. 

When  Mr.  Baxter  commenced  this  manuscript 
collection  it  was  his  purpose  to  include  all  material 
relating  to  Maine  before  the  year  1820,  at  which 
time  the  separation  of  Maine  from  Massachusetts 
was  effected.  But  in  1916  his  estimate  that  the 
remaining  material  (not  then  secured  and  printed) 
would  require  the  space  of  ten  added  volumes,  he 
deemed  the  task  too  great  for  one  who  was  now 
eighty-five  years  of  age,  and  he  brought  his  labors  in 
connection  with  this  monumental  work  to  a  close. 
Recently  the  Baxter  manuscript  volumes,  in  clear, 
distinct  handwriting,  strongly  bound,  have  been 
placed  in  the  safe  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 

These  two  gifts  now  mentioned — the  commodi- 
ous quarters  in  the  Baxter  Building  and  the  large 
manuscript  historical  material  relating  to  Maine — 
represent  benefactions  of  a  money  outlay  of  not  less 
than  fifty  thousand  dollars  at  a  conservative  esti- 
mate. No  other  gifts  to  the  society  from  any  donor 
in  the  one  hundred  years  covering  its  history 
approach  these  donations  by  Mr.  Baxter.  That 
later  the  Historical  Society's  interest  in  the  Baxter 
Building  passed  to  the  Portland  Public  Library  in 
nowise  lessens  the  value  of  Mr.  Baxter's  generous 
remembrances.  Like  his  other  services  in  his  long 

87 


connection  with  the  society,  they  illustrate  his  high 
appreciation  of  the  value  and  importance  of  the 
society's  activities. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  society  June  25, 
1890,  Hon.  James  W.  Bradbury,  who  had  served 
the  society  as  president  since  1871,  declined  a 
re-election,  and  Mr.  Baxter,  vice  president  since 
1887,  was  made  his  successor.  His  character  and 
prominence  as  a  citizen  in  the  various  relations  of 
life  admirably  qualified  him  for  wise  and  successful 
leadership,  while  his  acquaintance  with  older  and 
better  equipped  historical  societies,  both  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe,  was  so  broad  as  to  give 
promise  of  increasingly  efficient  service. 

Such  service  Mr.  Baxter  rendered.  His  papers 
read  at  meetings  of  the  society  were  frequent  and 
valuable.  One  of  these,  at  a  meeting  December  20, 
1889,  had  reference  to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges. 
The  society  in  1847  had  published  Gorges'  " Brief e 
Narration  of  the  Discovery  and  Plantation  of  New 
England,"  but  little  then  was  known  concerning 
Gorges.  Indeed,  so  little  had  been  brought  to  light 
that  when  Mr.  Baxter  went  to  England,  in  1885,  ne 
found  that  no  original  documents  relating  to  Gorges 
were  known  to  exist  in  English  archives  save  some 
papers  in  the  British  Museum  exhibiting  Gorges' 
connection  with  the  Essex  rebellion ;  and  a  relative 
of  the  family,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry  concerning 
Gorges,  wrote  to  Mr.  Baxter  that,  having  endeavored 

88 


to  investigate  the  Gorges  family  history,  he  doubted 
"whether  any  original  papers  of  Sir  Ferdinando  are 
now  extant."  At  the  end  of  a  year  of  research 
work,  however,  Mr.  Baxter  had  in  his  possession 
nearly  two  hundred  manuscripts,  a  large  portion  of 
which  were  copies  of  letters  bearing  Gorges'  sig- 
nature. The  paper  on  Gorges,  now  read  by  Mr. 
Baxter,  was  the  first  sheaf  of  his  gleanings  from 
these  manuscripts,  while  in  1890  the  Prince  Society 
in  Boston  published  Mr.  Baxter's  complete  story  of 
Sir  Ferdinando's  life  and  services  in  three  volumes 
under  the  title,  "Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  His 
Province  of  Maine."  The  work  included  not  only 
the  "Briefe  Narration,"  but  Gorges'  "Briefe  Answer 
to  Objections,"  etc.,  the  charter  granted  to  him  in 
1622,  and  his  will  and  letters,  the  whole  preceded  by 
a  memoir  of  Gorges  covering  one  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  pages.  Indeed,  so  thorough  was  Mr. 
Baxter's  search  for  manuscript  material  referring  to 
Sir  Ferdinando  that  later  laborers  in  the  same  field, 
and  on  a  like  quest,  have  had  scant  reward  for  their 
toil. 

Mr.  Baxter  now  directed  his  attention  to  the  prep- 
aration of  another  monograph  for  the  Gorges  Soci- 
ety. In  the  same  volume  in  which,  in  1847,  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  printed  Gorges'  "Briefe 
Narration,"  there  also  appeared  "A  Voyage  into  New 
England  in  1623,"  by  Christopher  Levett.  But  con- 
cerning Levett,  who,  before  the  advent  of  George 

89 


Cleeve,  sailed  into  Casco  Bay  and  discovered  the 
fitness  of  Machegonne  for  settlement,  as  little  was 
known  in  1847  as  concerning  Gorges.  Mr.  Baxter, 
however,  succeeded,  while  in  England,  in  obtain- 
ing information  that  enabled  him  to  prepare  an 
interesting  memoir  of  Levett,  which,  with  Levett's 
account  of  his  voyage  into  New  England  in  1623, 
was  published  in  1893  by  the  Gorges  Society  under 
the  title  "Christopher  Levett  of  York,  the  Pioneer 
of  Casco  Bay." 

One  day,  while  at  work  in  the  Public  Record 
Office  in  London,  Mr.  Baxter  discovered  that  he  had 
before  him  a  package  of  papers  sent  to  the  Lords 
of  Trade  by  Governor  Dummer  of  Massachusetts 
in  1725.  On  the  package  was  the  memorandum, 
"Thirty-one  Papers  produced  by  Mr.  Dummer  in 
Proof  of  the  Right  of  the  Crown  of  Great  Britain  to 
the  Lands  between  New  England  and  Nova  Scotia, 
and  of  Several  Depredations  committed  by  the 
French  and  Indians  between  1720  and  June,  1725." 
Mr.  Baxter's  examination  of  these  papers  convinced 
him  that  they  constituted  a  formidable  indictment 
especially  against  Pere  Sebastian  Ral£,  concerning 
whom  and  the  Indians  at  Norridgewock  Mr.  Baxter 
already  had  become  somewhat  familiar  in  the  dis- 
closures of  other  manuscript  material,  and  he  ob- 
tained copies  of  these  papers.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  after  his  return,  Mr.  Baxter 
called  attention  to  this  material.  Because  of  some 

90 


evidence  of  disapproval,  and  even  contention,  mani- 
fested in  the  discussion  by  members  of  the  society, 
he  deemed  it  his  duty  to  bring  together  from  the 
French  and  Massachusetts  archives  all  the  facts 
relating  to  these  disclosures  and  print  them.  This 
he  did  in  a  volume  entitled  "The  Pioneers  of  New 
France  in  New  England,  with  Contemporary  Let- 
ters and  Documents";  and  the  volume  was  pub- 
lished in  1894  by  Joel  Munsell  and  Sons,  Albany, 
New  York.  In  its  relation  to  matters  mentioned  in 
the  title  of  the  volume,  this  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant of  Mr.  Baxter's  contributions  to  our  Maine 
colonial  history. 

Hitherto,  although  personally  and  politically  inter- 
ested in  city,  state  and  national  affairs,  Mr.  Baxter 
had  neither  desired  nor  sought  public  office.  But 
now,  with  reference  to  a  municipal  election  at  hand, 
his  party  associates  requested  his  assistance  in  an 
effort  to  break  the  hold  which  the  opposing  party 
for  some  time  had  been  able  to  maintain  upon  the 
administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  Portland, 
and  he  was  urged  to  yield  to  their  request  and 
become  their  candidate  as  mayor  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  In  a  measure  the  situation  as  represented 
appealed  to  him ;  but  he  had  strong  personal  views 
with  reference  to  municipal  affairs,  and  he  was  not 
inclined  to  regard  these  views  as  sufficiently  in  har- 
mony with  those  of  a  majority  of  the  voters  of  Port- 
land as  to  give  any  promise  of  success  at  the  polls 

91 


in  the  approaching  municipal  election  if  he  should 
be  nominated.  He  was  assured,  however,  that  exist- 
ing conditions  were  favorable  to  success,  and  he  not 
only  yielded,  but  even  welcomed  what  he  now  saw 
was  an  opportunity  for  important  public  service. 
Familiar  with  the  business  interests  of  Portland,  he 
had  in  view  improvements  he  had  long  desired  to 
see  in  connection  with  municipal  administration. 
He  also  believed  that  the  influence  of  the  city  gov- 
ernment might  be  exerted  more  strongly  in  increas- 
ing the  trade  of  Portland,  both  by  land  and  sea. 
Also,  as  one  who  for  many  years  had  recognized  the 
advantages  which  Portland,  in  its  unique  situation, 
possesses  for  making  it  the  "City  Beautiful,"  he 
saw  an  opportunity  for  service  with  reference  to 
such  an  undertaking;  and  he  yielded  to  the  call 
that  had  come  to  him.  Accordingly,  having  been 
nominated  and  elected  as  mayor  of  Portland,  Mr. 
Baxter  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  with  the 
beginning  of  the  municipal  year,  1892-1893. 

He  was  aware,  however,  of  the  need  of  time  in 
securing  the  ends  he  had  in  view.  There  was  no 
undue  haste  or  rashness  in  his  recommendations; 
and  he  carried  into  his  administration  of  the  city's 
affairs  the  principles  that  had  characterized  his 
business  career — wise  foresight,  careful  considera- 
tion, prudent  management.  Indeed,  so  efficiently 
and  acceptably  were  the  duties  of  his  office  per- 
formed that  Mr.  Baxter  was  re-elected  in  each  of 

92 


the  three  following  municipal  years.  Among  the 
important  improvements  long  needed  that  were 
commenced  at  this  time  was  the  sewer  for  the  drain- 
age of  the  northern  slope  of  the  city  and  a  large 
section  of  the  Deering  district.  Attention  also  was 
given  to  the  enlargement  and  improvement  of  the 
Eastern  and  Western  Promenades ;  also  a  compre- 
hensive plan  for  developing  and  co-ordinating  the 
city  parks  was  obtained  from  a  well-known  land- 
scape engineer.  Failure  to  secure  re-election  in 
1896,  however,  withdrew  Mr.  Baxter  for  awhile  from 
these  activities;  but  the  value  of  his  services  in 
connection  with  the  duties  of  his  office  was  increas- 
ingly recognized  in  the  years  that  followed,  and  in 
December,  1902,  he  was  recalled  for  added  service. 
In  this  second  period,  which  covered  the  years  1903 
and  1904,  Mr.  Baxter  continued  his  efforts  along 
the  earlier  lines  with  larger  results ;  and  although, 
when  he  retired  from  office,  much  still  remained  to 
be  done,  he  lived  long  enough  to  see  the  improve- 
ments he  had  advocated  so  far  advanced  by  his  suc- 
cessors as  to  make  the  final  achievements  reason- 
ably sure. 

During  the  interval  between  the  first  and  second 
periods  of  his  service  as  mayor,  Mr.  Baxter  returned 
to  his  historical  work,  and  commenced  the  prepara- 
tion of  a  volume  having  reference  to  Jacques  Car- 
tier  and  his  voyages  to  the  St.  Lawrence,  making 
large  use  of  the  material  he  obtained  in  France  in 

93 


1 886.  Of  Cartier's  first  voyage  of  discovery,  in 
1534,  English  readers  for  nearly  three  hundred 
years  (except  in  Hakluyt's  brief  account  in  the 
third  volume  of  his  Voyages,  etc.,  1600)  had  been 
restricted  to  a  translation  from  an  Italian  work  of 
Ramusio  in  1556  by  Jean  Florio,  printed  in  London 
in  1580.  In  1867,  m  the  Bibliotheque  Imperiale,  an 
ancient  manuscript  of  Cartier's  first  voyage  was 
discovered,  containing  evidence  that  Cartier  was  its 
author.  The  manuscript  had  been  printed,  but 
because  of  its  importance  Mr.  Baxter  obtained  a 
photographic  copy  of  it  and  translated  it,  adding 
also,  near  the  close  of  the  volume,  his  facsimile 
copy  of  the  original.  In  the  Bibliotheque  Nationale 
there  is  a  manuscript  of  Cartier's  second  voyage  of 
1535-1536,  and  this  also  Mr.  Baxter  translated; 
while  for  the  third  voyage  of  1540,  he  used  the 
account  which  Hakluyt  gives  in  the  third  volume 
of  his  Voyages,  etc.  The  whole  was  preceded  by  a 
memoir  of  Cartier;  and  to  make  the  volume  yet 
more  complete  Mr.  Baxter  added  to  the  narratives 
of  the  voyages  documents  relating  to  the  animal 
and  plant-life  of  the  country,  its  cartography,  and  a 
description  of  its  inhabitants.  The  work  was  not 
brought  to  a  completion  until  the  close  of  Mr.  Bax- 
ter's second  period  of  service  as  mayor,  when  it  was 
published,  in  1906,  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Company, 
New  York,  making  available  to  English  readers 


94 


much  valuable  source  material  relating  to  Cartier's 
voyages  and  the  beginnings  of  New  France. 

Mrs.  Anne  Longfellow  Pierce,  sister  of  the  poet 
Longfellow  and  living  in  the  Longfellow  mansion 
on  Congress  Street,  died  early  in  1901,  bequeathing 
this  valuable  property  to  the  Maine  Historical 
Society  on  certain  conditions,  one  of  which  was 
that  the  society  should  engage  within  nine  months 
of  her  decease  to  erect  a  building  on  the  estate  for 
the  society's  library  and  cabinet.  Because  of  this 
and  other  conditions  there  was  hesitation  on  the 
part  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  society  with 
reference  to  the  acceptance  of  the  gift  on  account 
of  the  large  outlay  involved.  But  there  was  hesita- 
tion only.  If  the  thought  of  removal  brought  even 
a  shadow  of  disappointment  to  Mr.  Baxter  it  was 
not  discoverable.  As  president  of  the  Portland 
Public  Library  he  saw  the  rapidly  growing  need  of 
enlarged  accommodations  for  the  library.  The  gift 
was  accepted  and  Mr.  Baxter  was  made  chairman 
of  the  committee  on  plans  and  construction;  and 
so  successfully  was  the  work  carried  forward  that 
with  the  building  completed,  its  furnishings  added, 
the  removal  of  the  library  and  cabinet  accom- 
plished, the  dedication  followed  February  27,  1907, 
the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  Longfellow's 
birth.  Mr.  Baxter,  in  presiding,  gave  voice  to  the 
general  joy  of  his  associates  in  coming  into  the  pos- 
session of  such  ample  accommodations  for  the  soci- 

95 


ety's  increasing  needs ;  and  he  recalled  the  cherished 
visions  of  earlier  members,  making  special  mention 
of  Governor  Israel  Washburn,  who  had  looked  for- 
ward to  such  a  day  in  the  history  of  the  Maine 
Historical  Society,  but  had  died  without  the  sight. 
When  Mr.  Baxter  became  mayor  of  Portland,  he 
set  aside  his  salary  for  the  introduction  of  manual 
training  in  the  public  schools  of  Portland.  A  few 
years  before,  his  friend,  George  S.  Hunt,  in  a  peti- 
tion to  the  city  government,  had  asked  for  such 
instruction  in  the  public  schools,  but  without  suc- 
cess. Impressed,  evidently,  by  Mr.  Hunt's  petition, 
Mr.  Baxter  now  started  the  movement  as  mentioned. 
A  room  for  such  training  was  opened  in  the  Butler 
School,  and  another  in  the  North  School.  An 
instructor,  also,  was  provided.  In  1897,  Mr.  Baxter 
saw  an  opportunity  for  larger  service  in  this  direc- 
tion. A  building  for  the  Manual  Training  School 
was  needed ;  and  as  chairman  of  the  trustees  of  the 
Walker  fund,  Mr.  Baxter  brought  the  matter  before 
his  associates  under  the  will  of  Joseph  Walker,  of 
Portland,  with  the  result  that  the  trustees  offered  to 
erect  from  the  funds  in  their  hands  a  building  for 
the  Manual  Training  School.  As  there  seemed  to 
be  some  hesitation  on  the  part  of  the  city  with  ref- 
erence to  the  matter,  the  trustees  of  the  will  recalled 
their  offer.  Nearly  two  years  later,  however,  the 
city  having  made  a  request  that  the  offer  should  be 
renewed,  the  trustees  voted  to  donate  from  the 

96 


Walker  fund  $20,000  for  the  erection  of  the  pro- 
posed building  on  conditions  that  were  accepted; 
and  this  building,  on  Casco  Street,  erected  at  a  cost 
of  about  $22,000,  was  dedicated  November  8,  1901. 
With  the  opening  of  the  twentieth  century  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  made  suitable  arrange- 
ments for  a  series  of  tercentenary  celebrations  hav- 
ing reference  to  early  seventeenth  century  voyages 
to  the  coast  of  Maine,  viz.,  Martin  Pring's  voyage 
in  1603,  the  voyage  of  Sieur  de  Mont  and  Cham- 
plain  in  1604,  that  of  George  Way  mouth,  in  1605, 
and  that  of  the  Popham  colonists  in  1607.  With 
reference  to  all  of  these  celebrations  special  meet- 
ings by  the  society  were  held  in  which  Mr.  Baxter 
took  very  deep  personal  interest.  Of  the  voyage 
in  1603,  when  Pring  ranged  the  coast  of  Maine, 
there  is  no  record  of  landing  places,  and  the  meet- 
ing accordingly  was  held  in  the  Historical  Society's 
hall  in  Portland,  at  which  Mr.  Baxter  read  a  paper 
entitled,  "The  Avant  Couriers  of  Colonization,"  hav- 
ing reference  to  the  long  list  of  English,  French 
and  Spanish  discoverers,  who  were  on  the  Ameri- 
can coast  following  John  Cabot's  discovery  of  the 
continent  in  1497,  the  paper  making  a  most  appro- 
priate introduction  to  Professor  A.  L.  P.  Dennis' 
paper  on  Pring's  voyage  that  followed.  At  the  De 
Mont  tercentenary,  in  June,  1904,  at  Calais  and  on 
St.  Croix  Island,  Mr.  Baxter's  contribution  was  a 
paper  on  Samuel  de  Champlain,  De  Mont's  asso- 

7  97 


ciate.  The  tercentenary  of  Waymouth's  voyage  of 
1605  was  held  at  Thomaston  and  St.  George's  Har- 
bor, July  6,  1905,  at  which  Mr.  Baxter's  paper 
largely  had  reference  to  England's  claim  to  the  dis- 
covery of  the  North  American  coast  by  Cabot  over 
the  claim  of  France  that  the  discovery  was  made 
by  Verrazano  in  1524,  and  that  of  Spain  by  Gomez 
in  1525.  The  Popham  celebration,  August  29, 
1907,  was  on  the  original  site  of  Fort  George 
erected  by  the  Popham  colonists  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Kennebec  in  1607.  On  this  occasion,  Mr. 
Baxter,  after  mention  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  as 
the  leading  spirit  in  that  pioneer  enterprise  at  colo- 
nization on  the  New  England  coast,  graphically 
sketched  Chief  Justice  Popham  (associated  with 
Gorges  in  the  undertaking),  also  George  Popham 
and  Ralegh  Gilbert,  heads  of  the  colony,  closing 
his  paper  with  corrections  of  the  errors  made  at  the 
society's  Popham  celebration  in  1862  by  some  of 
the  speakers,  who,  in  that  earlier  time,  lacked  access 
to  sources  of  information  discovered  later. 

Another  celebration,  which  had  especial  signifi- 
cance to  Mr.  Baxter,  was  the  dedication  of  Lincoln 
Park  in  Portland,  on  February  12,  1909.  While 
mayor  of  Portland  he  had  occasion  to  recognize 
heartily  the  early  action  of  the  city  government  fol- 
lowing the  great  fire  of  1866  in  making  provision 
for  this  park.  Now,  he  had  the  gratification  of 
recognizing  the  recent  action  of  the  city  govern- 

98 


ment  in  a  timely  seizure  of  a  favorable  opportunity 
for  the  enlargement  of  the  park.  Most  appropri- 
ately the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  President 
Lincoln's  birth  was  appointed  for  the  dedicatory 
service,  to  which  Mr.  Baxter  contributed  a  poem 
entitled  "Lincoln." 

It  must  have  been  about  this  time,  also,  that  Mr. 
Baxter  became  interested  in  the  Shakespeare-Bacon 
controversy,  and  it  may  be  that  a  short  visit  to  Eng- 
land, made  by  him  in  1907,  was  planned,  in  part  at 
least,  in  order  that  he  might  avail  himself  of  the 
advantages  which  Stratford-on-Avon  and  the  great 
libraries  of  England  afford  for  the  study  of  matters 
pertaining  to  this  controversy.  At  all  events,  if 
Mr.  Baxter  had  not  earlier  become  interested  in 
the  controversy,  he  was  soon  under  the  influence  of 
its  attractiveness,  and  began  a  collection  of  material 
relating  to  it,  using  doubtless  the  assistance  of 
others,  as  was  his  wont  in  his  historical  work.  The 
material  was  abundant;  and  when  at  length  he  had 
accomplished  his  own  task  with  reference  to  it, 
which,  as  he  says,  was  no  less  than  an  examination 
of  the  entire  subject,  and  also  a  review  of  the  work 
of  others,  he  had  the  manuscript  of  a  volume  of 
six  hundred  and  eighty-six  printed  pages,  entitled, 
"The  Greatest  of  Literary  Problems,  the  Author- 
ship of  the  Shakespeare  Works,  an  Exploration  of 
all  Points  at  Issue  from  Their  Inception  to  the 
Present  Moment."  The  work  was  published  in 

99 


I9I5  by  the  Houghton  MifHin  Company,  Boston 
and  New  York,  and  was  illustrated  by  many  por- 
traits, facsimile  signatures,  etc.  In  his  preface,  Mr. 
Baxter  stated  that  the  volume  was  "the  result  of 
conviction  founded  upon  judgment,"  and  he  added, 
"In  my  treatment  of  opponents  I  hope  I  have  not 
held  them  in  too  light  esteem,  fully  realizing  that 
what  we  often  believe  to  be  principles  and  valor- 
ously  battle  for  not  infrequently  turn  out  to  be  but 
opinions,  and  that  beyond  them  may  be  a  wide  field 
of  debatable  ground."  Evidently  Mr.  Baxter  was 
unprepared  for  disapproval  and  criticism  of  the  pages 
of  his  book ;  and  in  a  second  preface  he  expressed 
disappointment  at  its  reception.  His  other  publi- 
cations had  won  for  him  strong  commendation. 
The  problems  there  were  historical.  He  was  deal- 
ing with  facts  for  which  there  had  been  the  most 
diligent,  careful  consideration.  In  his  present  task 
the  problem  was  a  literary  one,  and  he  lacked  the 
thorough  equipment  he  possessed  in  the  field  of 
historical  research.  Moreover,  at  eighty-four  years 
of  age  he  was  not  at  a  favorable  period  of  life  for 
successful  work  in  any  new  field.  This  seems  to 
have  been  his  own  conviction;  and  lovingly,  with 
the  delight  of  earlier  years  as  we  may  well  believe, 
he  returned  to  tasks  still  awaiting  him  on  his  own 
favorite  fields. 

One  of  these  tasks  had  reference  to  a  work  to  be 
entitled  "Acadia  and   the   Acadians."     In  visiting 

100 


the  scene  of  Longfellow's  Evangeline  many  years 
before,  Mr.  Baxter  became  so  much  interested  in 
the  poet's  story  that  he  entrusted  to  a  competent 
person  the  task  of  obtaining  the  necessary  source 
material  for  the  preparation  of  such  a  work  as  he 
had  in  mind.  To  this  material,  which  at  length 
came  into  his  hands,  he  now  turned,  and  he  had 
made  some  progress  in  shaping  it,  when,  one  evening 
in  March,  1918,  in  a  destructive  fire  in  the  Press 
Building  in  which  his  office  was  located,  the  man- 
uscript material  for  this  history,  and  the  copy  already 
prepared,  were  destroyed.  Nor  was  this  his  only 
loss.  Upon  his  desk  that  evening  was  the  com- 
pleted manuscript  of  a  monograph  in  which  he  had 
told  the  story  of  Major  Samuel  Moody's  eventful 
career,  especially  in  connection  with  the  Indian 
wars  in  Maine  and  the  rebuilding  of  Falmouth,  now 
Portland ;  and  this  manuscript  also  was  destroyed. 
The  material  on  which  it  was  based  could  be  ob- 
tained without  difficulty  by  others,  and  Mr.  Baxter 
was  urged  to  rewrite  the  manuscript  with  this  assist- 
ance; but  he  had  no  heart  for  the  service,  and 
turned  his  attention  to  a  nearly  completed  geneal- 
ogy of  his  Baxter  ancestors,  a  manuscript  which 
happily  had  not  been  injured  in  the  general  ruin 
occasioned  by  the  fire. 

Following  these  losses  and  disappointments,  an 
increasing  loss  in  Mr.  Baxter's  remarkable  physical 
strength  was  soon  apparent.  Hitherto,  easily  and 

101 


even  surprisingly  he  had  borne  the  burdens  of 
varied  activities;  but  now  it  became  more  and  more 
clearly  seen  that  the  desire  and  even  the  will  to  do 
as  he  had  been  wont  were  slowly  failing.  He 
retained,  however,  his  interest  in  the  meetings  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society;  and  in  March,  1920,  he 
attended  the  seventy-fifth  anniversary  of  the  New 
England  Historic  Genealogical  Society  in  Boston, 
at  which,  as  on  earlier  occasions  there  and  else- 
where, he  advocated  the  erection  of  a  Temple  of 
Honor  in  which  the  Pilgrim  and  Puritan  founders 
of  New  England  might  worthily  be  commemorated. 
Also,  on  Sunday,  June  27,  1920,  at  a  service  open- 
ing a  week  of  celebrations  in  recognition  of  Maine's 
first  century  of  statehood,  Mr.  Baxter  delivered  an 
address  in  the  First  Parish  Church,  Portland,  hav- 
ing reference  largely  to  the  wide  influence  of  this 
historic  church  in  the  religious  life  of  Maine  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  making  special  mention  of  Par- 
sons Smith,  Deane  and  Nichols,  whose  combined 
pastorates  covered  one  hundred  and  thirty-two 
years.  From  the  journals  of  Smith  and  Deane  Mr. 
Baxter  drew  the  story  of  the  early  part  of  the  period, 
while  of  Dr.  Nichols'  ministry  he  was  able  to  record 
personal  recollections.  It  was  as  if  his  life  had  been 
lengthened  for  such  a  service.  In  fact,  this  was 
Mr.  Baxter's  last  important  public  service,  and  prop- 
erly we  may  look  back  upon  it  as  the  coronation  of 
a  long,  useful  and  honorable  life. 

102 


The  year,  also,  was  the  tercentenary  of  the  land- 
ing of  the  Pilgrims  at  Plymouth.  For  several  years 
the  approaching  celebration  had  held  a  favored 
place  in  Mr.  Baxter's  thoughts  in  his  quiet  hours. 
Now,  again,  as  so  often  in  his  leisure  intervals  for 
many  years,  his  meditations  sought  expression  on 
canvas,  and  with  his  brushes  and  colors  he  depicted 
the  Mayflower,  a  typical  vessel  of  the  period,  on  her 
long  voyage  westward.  It  was  a  night  scene.  The 
lonely  craft,  with  all  sails  set,  was  holding  steadily 
on  her  westward  way,  the  full  round  moon,  from  an 
unclouded  sky,  making  for  her  a  broad  pathway  of 
light.  Another  day  of  the  voyage  had  been  struck 
from  the  calendar,  and  the  weary  voyagers  were  a 
day  nearer  to  their  desired  haven.  It  had  long  been 
Mr.  Baxter's  hope  that  December  20,  1920,  would 
find  him  in  such  a  condition  of  health  as  would 
enable  him  to  attend  the  Pilgrim  celebration  at 
Plymouth.  As  the  memorable  month  drew  near, 
however,  bringing  with  it  the  severities  of  a  New 
England  winter,  he  was  compelled  to  decline  the 
invitation  that  came  to  him  from  the  Commonwealth 
of  Massachusetts.  In  the  winter  months  that  fol- 
lowed he  received  the  greetings  of  his  children, 
grandchildren  and  great-grandchildren,  also  of  many 
friends.  But  spring  brought  no  healing  in  its  wings. 
On  May  8,  1921,  having  finished  his  course,  his  work 
done,  and  well  done,  he  rested  from  his  labors.  For 


103 


him,  too,  at  length,  the  old  call  of  his  boyhood's 
playdays  had  sounded,  "Gools.  All  In !" 

In  this  record  of  a  life  so  long  continued  beyond 
the  limit  reached  by  most  men,  James  Phinney 
Baxter  stands  before  us  a  New  Englander  of  the 
best  type,  desiring  and  endeavoring  to  do  his  duty 
as  he  understood  it.  His  early  training  was  in  a 
home  of  love  and  piety,  whose  memories  in  his  long 
pilgrimage  he  fondly  cherished.  When  he  went 
out  from  it,  it  was  to  do  his  life-work  diligently, 
honorably.  He  was  kindly,  affable,  patient,  help- 
ful, generous,  religious,  a  lover  of  justice,  righteous- 
ness and  peace.  His  home  was  the  center  of  his 
affections.  In  it  his  guests  received  a  hearty  wel- 
come and  cheerful  hospitality.  His  business  activ- 
ities were  characterized  by  enterprise,  foresight, 
energy.  As  wealth  came  into  his  possession  it  was 
largely  invested  in  Portland.  His  historical  labors 
were  restricted  to  endeavors  to  obtain,  use  and  make 
known  accurate  information  with  reference  to  the 
beginnings  and  development  of  colonial  and  pro- 
vincial Maine.  His  public  services  were  devoted 
to  the  execution  of  plans  and  purposes  that  had  as 
their  aim  the  welfare  and  increasing  prosperity  of 
Portland.  To  him  the  city  was  beautiful  for  situa- 
tion, and  its  citizens,  we  may  be  sure,  because  of 
what  he  did  to  make  it  more  beautiful,  will  hold 
his  memory  in  everlasting  honor. 

Mr.  Baxter  married,  September  18,  1854,  Sarah 

104 


Kimball  Lewis,  of  Portland,  by  whom  he  had  the 
following  children :  Florence  L.  (died  September  10, 
1857);  Hartley  C. ;  Clinton  L.;  Eugene  R.;  Mabel 
(died  October  2 2,  1865);  James  P.;  Alba  (died  Feb- 
ruary 12,  1873);  Rupert  H.  Mrs.  Baxter  died  Jan- 
uary 12,  1872,  and  Mr.  Baxter  married,  second,  April 
2,  1873,  Mehitable  Cummings  Proctor,  of  Peabody, 
Massachusetts,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: Emily  P.  (died  September  4, 1921);  Percival  P. 
(present  governor  of  Maine),  and  Madeline  C.,  widow 
of  Fenton  Tomlinson.  Mrs.  Baxter  died  November 
8,  1914. 

In  his  will  Mr.  Baxter,  still  having  in  view  the 
erection  of  a  "New  England  Pantheon,"  directed 
three  of  his  sons,  as  trustees,  to  pay  $50,000  to 
the  city  of  Boston  within  ten  years,  the  city 
to  hold  the  same  in  trust  until  it  should  amount  to 
$1,000,000,  when  it  should  be  used  for  the  erection 
of  a  suitable  building  "in  the  City  of  Boston  to 
commemorate  the  Lives  and  Deeds  of  the  Found- 
ers of  New  England,"  the  structure  to  "be  built 
of  material  from  New  England  quarries,  wrought 
by  the  hands  of  New  England  people,  and  adorned 
by  the  skill  of  New  England  artists ;  and  that  upon 
its  walls  should  be  pictorially  recorded  the  chief 
events  of  New  England  history."  Should,  however, 
the  city  of  Boston  decline  to  accept  the  trust  within 
three  years,  the  trustees  were  directed  to  pay  the 
$50,000  to  the  city  of  Portland  to  be  held  until  it 

105 


shall  amount  to  $1,000,000,  when  it  shall  be  used 
"either  for  the  establishment,  founding  and  mainte- 
nance of  a  Public,  Humane,  Charitable,  Educa- 
tional or  Benevolent  Institution  or  Institutions  or 
Parks  within  the  City  of  Portland,  the  same  to  be 
used  solely  for  public  purposes." 

His  historical  manuscripts  and  scrap-books  Mr. 
Baxter  gave  to  the  Maine  Historical  Society ;  his 
collection  of  antique  watches  to  Bowdoin  College ; 
a  portrait  of  himself  to  the  Maine  Historical  Soci- 
ety, to  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical 
Society,  and  to  several  other  historical  and  literary 
societies ;  also  $5,000  for  the  erection  of  a  fountain 
in  some  public  place  in  Portland,  on  which  should 
be  inscribed  "The  Baxter  Fountain";  and  the  same 
sum  to  Bowdoin  College,  the  income  to  be  expended 
in  the  purchase  of  objects  of  art  to  be  known  as 
"The  Baxter  Collection  in  memory  of  Henry  John- 
son." He  also  gave  $1,000  to  the  Portland  Society 
of  Art  for  the  establishment  of  a  fund  to  be  called 
"The  Baxter  Scholarship  Fund,"  the  income  to  be 
awarded  annually  to  the  pupil  in  the  Art  School 
who  shall  excel  in  drawing.  He  also  gave  to  the 
Art  Society  his  collection  of  Indian  pottery.  To 
the  Baxter  Memorial  Library  in  Gorham,  also,  he 
gave  $1,000,  the  income  to  be  used  in  maintaining 
the  Baxter  homestead  in  that  place. 

Mr.  Baxter's  historical  work  early  brought  to  him 
membership  in  historical  organizations  in  other 

106 


states.  In  1882,  he  was  made  a  member  of  the 
New  England  Historic  Genealogical  Society  in 
Boston.  For  four  years  (1897-1900)  he  was  vice 
president  of  that  society  for  Maine.  In  1901,  he 
was  elected  its  president,  and  remained  in  that  office 
until  his  death,  a  period  longer  than  any  of  his 
predecessors.  In  1887,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
American  Antiquarian  Society  of  Worcester,  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  was  its  secretary  for  foreign  corre- 
spondence. He  was  also  a  corresponding  member 
of  the  Colonial  Society  of  Massachusetts,  of  the 
Massachusetts  Historical  Society,  of  the  Rhode 
Island  Historical  Society  and  of  the  Old  Colony 
Historical  Society.  Bowdoin  College,  of  which  he 
was  made  an  overseer  in  1894,  conferred  on  him  the 
honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts  in  1881,  and  that 
of  Doctor  of  Letters  in  1904.  In  his  city  and  state 
relations,  in  addition  to  his  connection  with  organ- 
izations already  mentioned,  he  was  president  of  the 
Portland  Benevolent  Society,  a  founder  and  presi- 
dent of  the  Maine  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution,  and  president  of  the  Associated 
Chanties.  For  many  years  he  was  president  of  the 
Maine  Savings  Bank,  and  closely  connected  with 
other  prominent  social,  financial  and  political  organ- 
izations in  Portland.  His  judgment  and  assistance 
were  eagerly  sought  in  enterprises  for  promoting  pub- 
lic welfare.  In  brief,  Mr.  Baxter's  life  was  a  life  of 
service  as  honorable  as  it  was  useful  and  many  sided. 

107 


FRANKLIN  SIMMONS. 


FRANKLIN  SIMMONS,  SCULPTOR. 


Read  at  a  meeting  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  March  30,  1922. 

The  town  of  Webster,  Maine,  nine  miles  from 
Auburn,  was  incorporated  March  7,  1841.  At  an 
earlier  period  it  formed  a  part  of  the  town  of  Lis- 
bon. In  its  search  for  a  name  the  new  town  had 
no  difficulty.  Daniel  Webster  already  was  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  living  Americans.  In  1820,  by 
his  memorable  address  at  Plymouth  on  the  two 
hundredth  anniversary  of  the  landing  of  the  Pil- 
grims, he  had  won  distinction  as  an  orator  of  com- 
manding presence  and  of  rarest  gifts.  Ten  years 
later,  in  his  forceful  reply  to  Hayne  in  the  Senate 
of  the  United  States,  he  had  become  the  most 
prominent  of  American  statesmen.  In  1841,  by 
what  other  name  should  a  new  town  in  Maine  be 
known  than  by  that  of  Webster  ? 

In  this  town,  though  as  yet  still  called  Lisbon, 
Franklin  Simmons  was  born  January  n,  1839. 
He  was  a  son  of  Loring  and  Dorothy  (Batchelder) 
Simmons ;  also  a  descendant  in  the  eighth  gen- 
eration from  John  and  Priscilla  (Mullins)  Alden,  of 
Plymouth ;  while  his  great-grandfather,  Samuel 
Simmons,  then  a  resident  of  Cornwall,  Connecticut, 

109 


had  a  record  of  five  years'  service  as  a  Revolution- 
ary soldier  in  the  Third  Connecticut  Regiment,  and 
was  one  of  a  group  of  Revolutionary  soldiers  who, 
at  the  close  of  the  war,  established  for  themselves 
homes  on  farms  in  Lisbon,  afterwards  included  in 
the  new  town  of  Webster.  Samuel  Simmons  was 
also  the  first  schoolmaster  in  that  town. 

Of  Samuel's  three  sons,  John,  William  and 
Loring,  the  first  (known  as  John  Samuel)  made  Can- 
ton, Maine,  his  home.  There  he  and  his  brother 
William  became  successful  manufacturers  of  scythe 
rifles,  which  then  were  in  use  throughout  New 
England.  Loring  Simmons  seems  to  have  pos- 
sessed less  business  qualifications  than  his  brothers ; 
but,  like  John  Samuel,  he  was  fond  of  music  and 
an  expert  player  on  the  bass  viol.  Evidently  it  was 
from  his  mother,  rather  than  his  father,  that  Franklin 
Simmons  inherited  his  most  characteristic  gifts. 
From  those  familiar  with  the  family,  strong  testi- 
mony has  come  down  to  us  concerning  her  intel- 
lectual qualities  as  including  poetic  insight,  love  of 
art  and  practical  wisdom.  While  Franklin  was 
still  an  infant  his  parents  removed  to  Bath,  Maine. 
Because  of  the  better  educational  advantages  which 
the  place  afforded,  the  change  was  a  favorable  one, 
and  the  boy  developed  into  a  bright,  active  lad. 
Very  early  he  manifested  so  much  interest  in  draw- 
ing that  his  mother  furnished  him  with  pencils  and 
crayons,  and  at  length  added  such  instruction  in 

110 


drawing  as  Bath  afforded.  At  Rome,  Italy,  April 
27,  1913,  only  a  few  months  before  his  death,  Mr. 
Simmons,  in  a  letter  to  his  cousin,  Augustine  Sim- 
mons, of  North  Anson,  Maine,  wrote:  "Yesterday 
I  received  a  card  from  a  lady  saying  she  wanted  to 
visit  my  studio,  and  that  she  was  a  sister  of  Sophia 
Higgins,  of  Bath,  Maine,  from  whom  I  received 
instruction  in  drawing  when  I  was  a  boy.  I  was 
about  eleven  years  old  then.  I  remember  all  about 
it"  The  card  stirred  in  Mr.  Simmons  memories 
not  only  of  his  early  teacher,  but  of  friends  who 
encouraged  the  beginnings  of  his  efforts  in  art 
studies;  for  he  immediately  added  to  the  words  just 
quoted,  "There  were  nice  people  in  Bath  in  those 
days."  Miss  Higgins  died  in  Bath,  January  23, 
1916. 

When  Franklin  was  fifteen  years  old  the  family 
removed  to  Lewiston.  For  half  a  century  and 
more  the  place  had  been  known  as  Lewiston  Falls. 
With  the  development  of  manufacturing  interests  in 
New  England  the  falls  of  the  Androscoggin  River 
at  this  point  had  attracted  the  attention  of  capital- 
ists, and  already  the  erection  of  mills  had  been 
followed  by  a  large  increase  in  the  population  of 
Lewiston.  The  boy  soon  obtained  a  minor  position 
in  the  office  of  the  Hill  Mill.  His  intelligence  and 
faithfulness  made  him  a  favorite.  The  hum  of  the 
mill  and  the  business  of  the  office,  however,  could 
not  lessen  the  force  of  the  influences  that  had 

111 


already  proved  so  attractive  to  him  while  at  Bath. 
Yet  it  was  not  drawing  and  coloring  to  which  he 
now  devoted  his  spare  moments.  In  some  way  he 
had  learned  that  statues  were  first  modeled  in  clay, 
and  having  procured  the  necessary  material,  and 
without  any  instruction  in  modeling,  he  developed 
his  earliest  exhibitions  of  the  sculptor's  art.  From 
these  beginnings  the  young  artist  received  such 
encouragement  that  he  made  his  way  to  Boston.  It 
is  Simmons'  own  story  in  later  years  that  in  Boston 
he  saw  his  first  statue.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
it  was  Canova's  fine  statue  of  Washington  in  the 
state  house.  In  this  visit  to  Boston,  also,  he  called 
on  Mr.  John  Adams  Jackson  (born  in  Bath,  Maine, 
in  1825),  who  at  that  time  was  living  in  Boston,  and 
was  beginning  to  be  known  as  a  sculptor  of  much 
promise.  He  made  a  bust  of  Daniel  Webster  in 
1851  and  of  Wendell  Phillips  in  1854.  From  him 
Simmons  obtained  needed  instruction ;  and  greatly 
encouraged  by  the  aid  he  received  in  this  way  he 
returned  to  Lewiston,  withdrew  from  the  office  of 
the  Hill  Mill,  and  opened  a  studio  in  a  small  room 
in  Waldron  Block,  where  he  began  to  put  in  prac- 
tice what  he  had  learned.  "The  Newsboy"  is  men- 
tioned as  one  of  Mr.  Simmons'  earliest  efforts  in 
modeling  from  life.  This  was  reproduced  in  plaster. 
Among  those  from  whom  Mr.  Simmons  received 
encouragement  at  this  time  was  Rev.  George  Knox, 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Lewiston,  of  which 

112 


Franklin's  mother  was  a  member.  Recognizing 
signs  of  promise  in  the  boy  he  sought  to  aid  him  in 
every  possible  way.  It  was  doubtless  at  his  sugges- 
tion that  about  this  time  young  Simmons  saw  his 
need  of  a  classical  education  as  a  preparation  for 
his  chosen  life-work ;  and  he  sought  the  aid  of  the 
late  Frank  L.  Dingley,  long  editor  of  the  Lewiston 
Journal,  but  then  a  schoolboy  preparing  for  college 
at  the  Lewiston  Falls  Academy.  Simmons  called 
on  Dingley,  told  him  that  he  had  been  employed  in 
the  Hill  Mill  office,  but  wanted  to  begin  the  study 
of  Latin  and  asked  if  he  would  teach  him.  Ding- 
ley  consented,  and  this  was  the  beginning  of  a  life- 
long friendship.  Later,  Simmons  is  said  to  have 
entered  the  Maine  State  Seminary,  at  Lewiston, 
which  had  a  collegiate  course,  and  in  1863  became 
Bates  College.  One  of  Simmons'  art  efforts  at  this 
period  was  a  portrait  of  his  friend  Dingley  in  oil. 
This  long  hung  in  Mr.  Dingley's  residence  in 
Auburn,  and  was  described  by  him  as  Franklin 
Simmons'  "first  and  last  attempt  at  oil  painting." 

But  Simmons'  interest  in  sculpture  was  soon 
stronger  than  in  his  books,  and  from  Waldron's 
Block  he  removed  to  a  larger  room  in  Central 
Block.  It  was  here,  probably,  that  he  made  a  por- 
trait bust  of  Rev.  George  Knox,  an  advance  upon 
his  earlier  work  in  modeling.  When  exhibited  it 
won  from  his  friends  enthusiastic  commendation. 
Doubtless  it  was  by  Mr.  Knox's  advice  that  the 

8  113 


young  sculptor  now  made  his  way  to  Waterville, 
where  Dr.  Champlin,  the  president  of  Waterville 
College,  now  Colby  College,  not  only  gave  him  a 
cordial  welcome,  but  great  encouragement  by  an 
order  for  two  portrait  busts  of  himself.  One  of 
these  is  in  the  library  of  Colby  College  and  bears 
the  date  "1859."  Also  in  this  library  are  three 
other  busts  by  Mr.  Simmons,  one  of  President  Pat- 
tison,  dated  "1860,"  one  of  Rev.  Nathaniel  Butler, 
dated  "1861,"  and  one  of  Hannibal  Hamlin,  dated 
"1889."  There  is  also  in  the  college  library  another 
bust,  unsigned  and  undated,  concerning  which  infor- 
mation is  desired  by  the  librarian.  When  making 
his  will  in  Rome,  Italy,  more  than  half  a  century 
later,  Mr.  Simmons  remembered  that  visit  to  Colby 
College  in  a  gift  of  fifteen  hundred  dollars  to  found 
a  scholarship  there  "in  honor  of  George  Knox," 
known  as  "The  Knox  Scholarship."  Later,  Sim- 
mons went  to  Brunswick,  where,  in  a  studio  over 
the  Pejepscot  Bank,  he  made  a  bust  of  President 
Woods  and  also  of  Professor  Packard,  of  Bowdoin 
College. 

In  1859  or  1860,  Mr.  Simmons  came  to  Portland 
and  opened  a  studio  on  Middle  Street.  Among 
the  friends  he  made  at  this  time  were  Harrison  B. 
Brown  (familiarly  known  as  Harry  Brown),  John 
Neal,  Judge  Symonds  and  Thomas  B.  Reed.  In 
the  early  part  of  his  Portland  residence  he  seems  to 
have  devoted  himself  largely  to  making  cameo 

114 


medallions  of  prominent  citizens,  but  mention  is 
also  made  of  portrait  busts  of  General  Samuel  Fes- 
senden,  F.  O.  J.  Smith  and  Rev.  Horatio  Stebbins. 
A  bust  of  John  Neal  by  Simmons  is  still  one  of  the 
adornments  of  the  reading  room  in  the  Public 
Library  in  Portland.  At  length  the  young  sculptor 
received  from  the  Masonic  bodies  of  the  state  an 
order  for  a  bust  in  marble  of  Robert  P.  Dunlap, 
governor  of  Maine  from  1834  to  1838.  It  crowns 
a  memorial  to  the  governor  erected  near  the  en- 
trance to  Pine  Grove  Cemetery  in  Brunswick,  and 
may  be  earlier  than  the  marble  busts  in  Lewiston 
already  mentioned.  This,  to  Franklin  Simmons, 
was  encouragement  to  high  endeavor,  and  he  was 
aided  by  it. 

But  an  opportunity  for  larger  service  soon  opened. 
Major  General  Hiram  G.  Berry  of  Rockland,  one 
of  Maine's  most  distinguished  officers  in  the  Civil 
War,  was  killed  in  the  battle  of  Chancellorsville, 
May  3,  1863.  Appointed  colonel  of  the  Fourth 
Maine  Volunteers  June  15,  1861,  he  was  made  a 
brigadier  general,  U.  S.  Volunteers,  in  1862,  and  at 
the  time  of  his  death  he  was  a  major  general  in 
command  of  Hooker's  old  division  of  the  Army  of 
the  Potomac,  comprising  eighteen  regiments  and 
thirty  pieces  of  artillery.  As  a  memorial  over  his 
grave  in  the  cemetery  at  Rockland,  what  could  be 
more  fitting  than  a  statue?  In  a  letter  to  Mrs. 
Berry,  dated  Portland,  October  7,  1863,  John  Neal 

115 


wrote:  "From  my  knowledge  of  sculpture,  and  of  this 
young  man  Simmons,  I  feel  myself  entirely  justified 
in  saying  that  I  am  sure  of  his  work  being  not  only 
a  comfort  and  a  consolation  to  the  family,  but  an 
honor  to  the  state  and  country."  The  order  was 
given,  and  the  statue,  the  first  of  many  Civil  War 
memorials  designed  and  executed  by  Franklin  Sim- 
mons, was  unveiled  with  impressive  ceremonies  in 
Acorn  Cemetery,  Rockland,  October  31,  1865. 

In  his  work  upon  the  Berry  statue,  Mr.  Simmons 
naturally  not  only  learned  much  with  reference  to 
his  chosen  art,  but  he  was  also  greatly  encouraged 
by  the  congratulations  he  received  at  the  unveiling. 
His  outlook  on  the  world,  too,  had  broadened,  and 
with  the  close  of  the  Civil  War  he  was  not  long  in 
discovering  that  in  Washington  places  would  soon 
be  found  for  permanent  memorials  of  the  recognized 
heroes  of  the  war.  He  accordingly  now  closed  his 
studio  in  Portland  and  made  his  way  to  the  national 
capital,  where  he  was  already  favorably  known  by 
the  Maine  delegation  in  Congress.  A  studio  was 
secured,  and  he  was  soon  at  work  modeling  busts 
of  distinguished  army  and  naval  officers  then  in 
Washington;  and  it  was  not  long  before  he  had 
sittings  from  Generals  Grant,  Sherman,  Meade, 
Sheridan,  Wright,  Warren  and  Admirals  Farragut 
and  Porter,  also  from  prominent  members  of  Con- 
gress in  both  houses. 

While  thus  engaged  Mr.  Simmons  received  his 

116 


first  order  for  a  public  war  memorial.  The  date  of 
the  contract  was  October  15,  1866,  and  it  was  espe- 
cially gratifying  to  the  sculptor  that  the  order  came 
from  his  former  home,  Lewiston,  Maine.  When 
completed  and  erected  in  a  park  near  the  center  of 
the  city  of  Lewiston,  the  memorial  included  a  gran- 
ite base,  ten  feet  square,  on  which  stands  a  soldier 
in  bronze  of  heroic  size;  while  bronze  tablets,  on 
the  faces  of  the  base,  record  the  names  of  Lewis- 
ton's  one  hundred  and  twelve  officers  and  soldiers 
who  died  in  the  Civil  War. 

During  his  work  in  Washington  Mr.  Simmons 
received  a  commission  calling  for  a  higher  reach  of 
his  undeveloped  powers.  In  1867,  at  the  comple- 
tion of  the  extension  of  the  national  capitol  at 
Washington,  the  House  of  Representatives  aban- 
doned the  hall  it  had  occupied  hitherto,  and  took 
possession  of  its  new  hall  in  the  southern  wing  of 
the  building.  At  the  same  time  it  was  suggested 
in  the  House  of  Representatives  that  "each  state 
should  be  permitted  to  send  the  effigies  of  two  of 
her  chosen  sons,  in  marble  or  bronze,  to  be  placed 
permanently"  in  the  old  hall,  to  be  known  hence- 
forth as  "The  National  Statuary  Hall."  The  sug- 
gestion was  adopted,  and  the  states  were  invited 
to  send  their  contributions  to  the  capitol.  Rhode 
Island  was  the  first  to  respond,  selecting  as  her  first 
representative  Roger  Williams,  the  apostle  of  reli- 
gious liberty.  It  is  said  that  the  selection  of  Mr. 

117 


Simmons  for  the  execution  of  the  Williams  statue 
was  at  the  suggestion  of  General  Grant.  However 
this  may  be,  we  soon  find  Mr.  Simmons  in  Provi- 
dence in  conference  with  Rhode  Island  officials  and 
prominent  citizens  interested  in  the  statue.  As 
there  was  no  known  likeness  of  Roger  Williams  on 
either  side  of  the  sea,  it  was  necessary  that  the 
sculptor  should  be  made  acquainted  with  his  sub- 
ject, in  order  that  his  statue  might  be  in  harmony 
with  all  that  was  known  of  the  historical  Roger 
Williams ;  and  we  may  be  sure  that  Mr.  Simmons 
received  at  this  time  all  possible  assistance,  not  only 
as  to  the  dress  of  the  period,  but  also  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  founder  of  Rhode  Island.  In  this  way 
preparation  for  the  statue  was  made  complete,  and 
Mr.  Simmons  started  for  Italy.  With  him  went  his 
young  wife,  Mr.  Simmons  having  married,  Decem- 
ber 27,  1864,  Emily  J.,  daughter  of  Rook  Thurston 
Libby  and  Emily  (Lord)  Libby,  of  Auburn,  Maine. 
A  few  months,  probably  in  the  latter  part  of  1867, 
they  spent  in  Florence,  Italy,  where  John  Adams 
Jackson,  of  Bath,  was  now  located,  and  from  whom 
Mr.  Simmons  obtained  helpful  information,  espe- 
cially with  reference  to  the  work  that  had  brought 
him  hither.  Then,  early  in  1868,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Simmons  made  their  way  to  Rome.  Here,  amid 
the  inspiring  influences  of  statues  and  art  treas- 
ures of  very  many  centuries  with  which  Rome  was 
crowded,  work  on  the  model  of  Roger  WiUiams 

118 


was  carried  forward  with  so  much  success  that  it 
won  gratifying  approval  when  submitted.  It  was 
then  cut  in  marble.  Even  while  in  Rome,  the 
statue  received  honorable  recognition.  It  must 
have  reached  Washington  near  the  close  of  1871. 
In  the  National  Statuary  Hall  of  the  capitol  it  was 
the  first  contribution  of  the  states  to  be  received, 
and  was  hailed  with  congratulations  not  only  to  the 
artist,  but  to  Rhode  Island  as  an  inspiring  repre- 
sentation of  the  apostle  of  religious  liberty.  The 
presentation  addresses  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 
States  were  made  January  9,  1872,  by  Senators 
Sprague  and  Anthony,  and  in  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives January  nth  by  Hon.  B.  T.  Eames. 
The  latter,  in  his  address,  paid  a  noteworthy  tribute 
to  Mr.  Simmons.  "This  beautiful  statue,"  he  said, 
"wrought  with  exquisite  skill  in  spotless  marble,  is 
a  fit  emblem  of  his  [Roger  Williams']  life;  and 
although  in  form  and  features  purely  the  ideal  crea- 
tion of  the  artist  is  truthfully  expressive  of  the  noble 
qualities  of  his  nature ;  his  generous  and  independ- 
ent spirit;  his  courage;  his  love  of  liberty,  justice 
and  truth ;  and  his  unwavering  devotion  to  princi- 
ple." All  this  Mr.  Simmons  had  expressed  in  this 
illuminating  vision  of  a  man  in  middle  life,  with  face 
marked  by  traces  of  trial  and  suffering,  yet  abound- 
ing with  love  and  good-will,  and  clothed  in  the 
Puritan  garb  of  his  time — wide  collar  tied  with  rib- 
bon, jerkin  and  small  clothes,  and  a  long  Genevan 

119 


gown  open  in  front  and  lending  dignity  to  the 
whole.  In  1884,  Mr.  Simmons  gave  the  original 
model  of  his  Roger  Williams  to  Colby  College, 
Waterville,  Maine,  where  it  has  a  prominent  place 
in  the  college  art  collection  in  Memorial  Hall. 

Compared  with  any  earlier  work  by  Mr.  Simmons, 
this  statue  was  so  far  in  advance  as  to  awaken  in 
his  friends  bright  anticipations  with  reference  to  his 
future.  To  Simmons  himself  these  first  years  in 
Rome  had  been  full  of  happiness  and  encourage- 
ment. They  were  clouded  at  length,  however,  by 
the  death  of  Mrs.  Simmons,  which  occurred  in 
Rome  near  the  close  of  1872.  Mr.  Frank  L.  Ding- 
ley,  who  knew  Mrs.  Simmons,  said,  "She  is  remem- 
bered for  her  great  personal  beauty,  her  unusual 
intelligence,  her  gracious  charm  of  manner  and  her 
strong  and  resourceful  character." 

Two  other  well-known  statues  by  Mr.  Simmons 
belong  to  this  period,  1869-1873,  The  Mother  of 
Moses  and  The  Promised  Land.  In  the  first,  the 
mother  of  Moses  is  sitting  holding  in  her  arms  her 
infant  son,  looking  into  his  face  and  pondering  his 
possible  future  because  of  Pharaoh's  cruel  decree. 
With  her  expression  of  deep  anxiety  she  also  shows 
abiding  faith  in  God.  This  statue  was  purchased  by 
Mr.  William  S.  Appleton  of  Boston.  Mr.  Simmons 
was  in  this  country  in  the  last  part  of  1873,  and 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Appleton  invited  a  large  number  of 
lovers  of  art  in  the  city  to  meet  Mr.  Simmons  at  an 

120 


exhibition  of  this  statue  at  their  home  on  Beacon 
Street.  The  other  statue,  The  Promised  Land,  is 
the  figure  of  a  Hebrew  woman,  who,  after  a  long 
and  wearisome  journey,  has  reached  the  border  of 
the  land  of  her  fathers,  and,  resting  on  the  stump  of 
a  palm  tree,  she  is  looking  out  on  the  fair  prospect 
before  her,  with  heart  full  of  joy  at  the  contempla- 
tion of  the  scene  and  its  wonderful  significance. 
With  reference  to  this  statue  Judge  Symonds  wrote 
to  Mr.  Simmons:  "I  cannot  let  a  day  go  by  with- 
out thanking  you  for  sending  me  the  photograph 
of  The  Promised  Land.  It  is  fine  and  beautiful 
beyond  all  expectation.  It  seems  to  me  to  express 
most  admirably  just  what  you  intend,  and,  if  I  may 
say  so,  to  speak  for  itself."  Both  of  these  statues 
in  marble  are  in  the  Simmons  memorial  collection 
in  the  Portland  Society  of  Art. 

During  Mr.  Simmons'  visit  to  this  country  in  the 
latter  part  of  1873  an<^  the  earlier  part  of  1874,  he 
made  his  way  to  places  especially  connected  with 
his  boyhood  and  early  manhood.  These  were  vaca- 
tion days  in  which  the  artist  had  the  great  pleasure 
of  renewing  old  acquaintances  and  of  making  many 
new  ones.  They  were  also  days  that  brought  to 
him  an  order  for  added  service  that  was  peculiarly 
gratifying.  It  was  an  order  from  the  city  of  Auburn 
for  a  statue  of  Edward  Little,  the  founder  of  the  old 
Lewiston  Falls  Academy  when  Auburn  was  known 
as  Lewiston  Falls.  Later,  and  after  Mr.  Little's 

121 


death  in  1849  (which  was  followed  by  added  bene- 
factions), the  academy  became  the  Edward  Little 
Institute.  Still  later,  Auburn,  then  a  city,  desired 
to  bring  the  institute  into  line  with  its  graded  pub- 
lic schools  by  making  the  Edward  Little  Institute 
the  Edward  Little  High  School.  This,  at  length, 
had  been  effected  by  legislative  action  on  the  con- 
dition that  Auburn  would  erect  a  statue  of  Edward 
Little  in  front  of  the  new  high  school  building  bear- 
ing his  name.  The  condition  was  accepted,  and 
the  order  for  the  statue  was  given  to  Mr.  Simmons. 
Only  a  single  photograph  of  Mr.  Little  could  be 
found.  Happily  this  showed  his  face  in  full,  and 
from  it  the  sculptor  executed  a  bust  that  received 
the  cordial  approval  of  relatives  and  friends  who 
had  known  Mr.  Little  personally.  In  his  studio  in 
Rome,  with  the  use  of  this  bust,  Mr.  Simmons  com- 
pleted the  model  of  his  statue  of  Mr.  Little  and  it 
was  cast  in  bronze  at  Munich.  In  the  autumn  of 
1877,  the  statue  was  placed  on  its  designated  site 
in  Auburn,  and  was  unveiled  in  connection  with 
services  that  included  an  address  by  Hon.  Nahum 
Morrill  and  a  poem  by  Mrs.  M.  S.  Reed. 

Such  was  Mr.  Simmons'  success  in  his  statue  of 
Roger  Williams  for  the  National  Hall  of  Statuary 
at  the  capitol  in  Washington  that  the  city  of  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island,  not  long  after  gave  the  sculp- 
tor an  order  for  a  replica  of  the  statue  to  be  placed 
in  Roger  Williams  Park.  The  park  comprised  land 

122 


once  owned  by  Roger  Williams,  which  had  come 
into  possession  of  the  city  by  a  bequest  from  Miss 
Betsey  Williams,  a  great,  great,  great-granddaughter 
of  Roger  Williams.  In  the  execution  of  this  new 
order  Mr.  Simmons  added  to  his  Roger  Williams  in 
the  park  memorial  (at  the  head  of  steps  leading  up 
to  the  pedestal  on  which  the  statue  stands)  a  figure 
of  History  writing  with  a  stylus,  on  the  front  tablet 
of  the  memorial,  the  words,  "Roger  Williams,  1636." 
At  the  unveiling  of  the  statue,  which  occurred 
October  16,  1877,  a  large  assembly  of  the  citizens  of 
Providence  gathered.  Mr.  Simmons  was  present, 
and  had  the  pleasure  of  unveiling  the  statue.  Pro- 
fessor Diman  of  Brown  University,  in  an  address 
having  reference  to  the  place  of  Roger  Williams  in 
our  early  colonial  period,  paid  a  noble  tribute  to  the 
apostle  of  religious  liberty ;  while  in  a  reference  to 
the  sculptor's  ideal  conception  of  Roger  Williams, 
he  referred  to  Mr.  Simmons  as  "an  artist  who, 
charged  with  the  difficult  task  of  embodying  in 
ideal  form  one  of  whom  no  authentic  likeness  has 
been  preserved,  has  divined  with  such  admirable 
insight  those  characteristics  of  the  man  which  estab- 
lish his  chief  claim  to  our  veneration." 

When  Mr.  Simmons  returned  to  this  country  in 
1877,  he  brought  with  him  from  Rome  two  marble 
busts  of  Mr.  John  B.  Brown,  long  prominently  iden- 
tified with  the  business  interests  of  Portland.  One 
of  these  is  now  in  the  Portland  residence  of  Mr. 

123 


Philip  Greely  Brown,  Mr.  John  B.  Brown's  grand- 
son; and  the  other  is  in  the  library  room  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  in  Portland.  Probably 
Mr.  Simmons  brought  with  him  at  this  time  two 
other  marble  busts  made  by  him,  one  of  Mr.  William 
Wood  and  one  of  Mr.  Lyman  Nichols,  both  gentle- 
men representing  large  manufacturing  interests  and 
influential  in  Lewiston's  growth  and  prosperity; 
and  the  busts,  on  this  account,  as  well  as  from  the 
fact  that  Lewiston  was  the  early  home  of  the  sculp- 
tor, have  an  appropriate  place  in  the  Lewiston  Pub- 
lic Library. 

But  Mr.  Simmons'  presence  in  the  country  at  this 
time  had  reference  especially  to  his  completion  of 
a  statue  of  William  King,  the  first  governor  of 
Maine.  It  had  been  ordered  by  the  state  for  the 
National  Statuary  Hall  in  the  capitol  at  Washing- 
ton in  accordance  with  the  action  of  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States  as  already  mentioned,  and  Mr. 
Simmons  naturally  had  a  strong  personal  interest  in 
the  execution  of  his  task.  Presentation  addresses 
were  made  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
January  22,  1878,  by  Senators  Hamlin  and  Blaine, 
and  in  the  House  of  Representatives  by  Messrs. 
Frye  and  Reed.  The  address  by  Mr.  Frye  brought 
into  view  very  completely  Governor  King's  services 
to  the  state.  Mr.  Reed  emphasized  the  value  of 
deeds  as  the  imperishable  things  in  human  lives. 
"Sooner  or  later,"  he  said,  "he  who  has  been  the 

124 


faithful  servant  of  all  shall  be  looked  up  to  as  the 
master."  Of  Mr.  Simmons'  statue,  Elaine  had  only 
strong  words  of  praise :  "No  one,"  he  said,  "could 
pass  it  without  being  arrested  by  the  striking  fea- 
tures, the  intellectual  strength,  the  energetic  expres- 
sion which  rendered  him  as  marked  for  manly 
beauty  as  for  elevated  character.  The  same  char- 
acteristics have  been  reproduced  in  marble  with 
admirable  skill  by  one  who,  if  the  dead  could  speak, 
would  have  been  chosen  by  Mr.  King  for  the  task; 
a  sculptor  born  in  his  own  state,  developed  originally 
by  laborious  self-culture  under  adverse  circumstances 
and  advanced  and  refined  in  his  great  art  by  years 
of  patient  study  amid  its  best  models  of  all  the  ages 
under  the  best  of  living  masters." 

In  1878,  Mr.  Charles  P.  Clark,  then  of  Newton, 
Massachusetts,  while  in  Rome,  and  a  visitor  in  Mr. 
Simmons'  studio,  became  so  much  interested  in  a 
bronze  sitting-statue  of  Washington  at  Valley  Forge 
that  he  purchased  it,  and  it  is  now  in  possession  of 
a  son  living  in  Brookline,  Massachusetts.  In  this 
statue,  Mr.  Simmons,  with  true  historical  instinct, 
represents  the  Father  of  his  Country  reflecting 
deeply  over  the  many  difficult  problems  with  which 
his  mind  was  burdened  in  that  darkest  period  of 
our  Revolutionary  War.  A  copy  of  the  statue  in 
bronze,  but  considerably  reduced  in  size,  is  in  the 
Franklin  Simmons  memorial  collection  in  the  Port- 
land Society  of  Art. 

125 


For  some  time  Mr.  Simmons  had  now  been 
employed  upon  a  memorial  in  honor  of  the  officers, 
seamen  and  marines  of  the  United  States  Navy, 
who  had  died  "in  defence  of  the  Union  and  liberty 
of  their  country,  1861-1865."  The  site  selected  for 
the  memorial  was  at  the  foot  of  the  western  slope  of 
the  hill  on  which  the  national  capitol  in  Washing- 
ton stands,  and  not  far  from  the  imposing  Grant 
memorial  since  erected.  The  cost  of  the  elabo- 
rate granite  pedestal  of  the  memorial  ($20,000)  was 
provided  by  a  congressional  appropriation.  Mr. 
Simmons'  work  on  this  pedestal  is  of  Italian  marble 
and  reaches  to  the  height  of  forty-four  feet.  At 
this  elevation  are  two  figures  representing  America 
and  History,  the  former  bowed  in  grief,  while  the 
latter  holds  a  tablet  on  which  she  has  made  the  rec- 
ord, "They  died  that  their  country  might  live." 
Another  figure  on  a  lower  level,  and  representing 
Victory,  holds  in  her  raised  right  hand  a  wreath  of 
laurel,  and  there  are  miniature  figures  of  Mars  and 
Neptune  at  her  feet;  while  on  the  back  of  the 
memorial  there  is  an  added  figure  representing 
Peace,  bearing  an  olive  branch,  and  standing  amid 
agricultural  implements  and  the  products  of  hus- 
bandry. The  funds  for  the  erection  of  the  memo- 
rial ($21,000)  were  contributed  by  members  of  the 
navy  of  the  United  States. 

Jflr.  Simmons'  statue  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Long- 
fellow in  Portland,  Maine, — the  city  of  the  poet's 

126 


birth — was  the  result  of  action  taken  by  some  of 
its  citizens  at  a  meeting  shortly  after  Mr.  Long- 
fellow's death  in  1882.  With  the  organization  of 
the  Longfellow  Statue  Association  that  followed, 
funds  for  the  erection  of  the  proposed  statue  soon 
began  to  come  into  its  possession  from  near  and 
remote  parts  of  the  country,  and  even  from  foreign 
countries.  The  school  children  in  the  United  States 
were  largely  represented  in  these  gifts.  In  October, 
1885,  Mr.  Simmons  was  selected  as  the  artist  of  the 
memorial.  It  was  his  wish  at  first  to  represent  the 
poet  as  standing,  but  his  final  decision  was  for  a 
sitting-statue;  and  early  in  1888  his  plaster  model 
for  such  a  statue  was  submitted  and  accepted.  The 
statue,  cast  in  bronze  at  Munich,  arrived  in  Port- 
land September  24th  of  that  year.  On  the  follow- 
ing day  it  was  placed  on  its  pedestal  at  the  junction 
of  State  and  Congress  Streets,  since  known  as 
Longfellow  Square.  The  unveiling,  in  the  presence 
of  members  of  the  Longfellow  family  and  a  large 
throng  of  the  citizens  of  Portland,  with  the  residents 
of  many  other  places  in  Maine,  followed  on  Satur- 
day afternoon,  September  29th,  the  deeply  interest- 
ing services  including  a  prelude  by  Mr.  George  E. 
B.  Jackson,  the  singing  of  Longfellow's  "Psalm  of 
Life"  by  children  of  the  public  schools  of  Portland, 
addresses  by  Hon.  Charles  F.  Libby,  president  of  the 
Longfellow  Statue  Association,  and  Mayor  Charles 
J.  Chapman,  and  a  poem  by  Mrs.  E.  Cavazza.  The 

127 


significance  of  the  service  throughout  was  well 
expressed  by  Mr.  Libby  in  his  address,  when  he 
said:  "We  have  called  to  our  aid  the  sculptor's 
art  to  perpetuate  in  enduring  bronze  the  physical 
aspects  of  the  man,  the  dignity  and  charm  of  his 
person.  But  this  is  not  the  full  meaning  of  our 
act ;  it  is  the  life  of  the  poet  rather  than  his  fame  or 
achievements,  great  as  they  were,  which  we  would 
emphasize  to-day.  We  would  have  this  statue 
stand  as  a  monument  to  individual  worth,  a  tribute 
to  noble  living."  Of  the  position  of  the  statue  Mr. 
Simmons  once  wrote  in  a  letter  to  Judge  Symonds : 
"The  location  is  excellent,  but  the  face  of  a  statue 
that  is  turned  toward  the  north  is  never  so  well 
placed  as  one  placed  in  the  opposite  direction. 
The  face  is  in  the  shadow  most  of  the  time." 

The  erection  of  a  memorial  having  reference  to 
Portland's  soldiers  and  sailors  who  died  in  the  Civil 
War  was  delayed  by  differences  of  opinion  with 
reference  to  the  location  and  also  to  the  memorial 
itself.  These  differences  were  finally  settled  in 
favor  of  a  monument  in  Market  Square,  henceforth 
to  be  known  as  Monument  Square.  Evidently 
there  had  been  some  correspondence  with  Mr.  Sim- 
mons concerning  the  memorial,  for  a  letter  from 
him  was  read  in  which  he  wrote:  "The  idea  which 
I  regard  with  the  most  favor  and  think  would  be 
most  original,  and  by  far  the  most  impressive,  is 
the  idea  of  one  figure  which  shall  symbolize  the 

128 


triumph  of  the  Union."  He  also  suggested  that 
below  this  symbolical  figure,  on  either  side  of  the 
pedestal,  there  should  be  "accessories,"  viz.,  a  group 
of  soldiers  on  one  side  and  a  group  of  sailors  on  the 
other,  "which,"  he  said,  "would  give  a  more  ample 
expression  to  the  realistic  and  historic  part  of  the 
monument."  The  suggestions  were  favorably  re- 
ceived, and  Mr.  Simmons  was  requested  to  prepare 
models  in  accordance  with  the  suggestions.  The 
models  were  accepted,  and  Mr.  Simmons  urged  for- 
ward his  task  with  characteristic  energy  and  enthu- 
siasm. General  John  Marshall  Brown,  president  of 
the  Soldiers  and  Sailors  Association,  visited  Rome 
while  the  memorial  was  in  progress,  and  brought 
home  exceedingly  gratifying  reports  concerning  it. 
Meanwhile  the  granite  pedestal,  designed  by  Mr. 
Richard  M.  Hunt,  of  New  York,  was  made  ready 
for  the  statue,  which  arrived  in  Portland  in  June, 
1891,  and  the  monument  was  transferred  by  the 
association  to  the  city  in  connection  with  appro- 
priate services  in  the  City  Hall  on  the  evening  of 
October  28th  following.  A  great  undertaking  had 
at  length  been  successfully  accomplished.  No  one 
connected  with  it  had  given  to  it  more  loyal  service 
than  General  Brown,  who  now  reviewed  its  history 
in  an  address  with  affectionate  memories  of  those 
whom  the  memorial  so  lovingly  sought  to  honor. 
Mr.  Simmons  was  present,  and  during  the  address, 
in  an  allusion  to  the  services  which  Mr.  Simmons 

9  129 


had  so  faithfully  rendered,  General  Brown  paused 
and  introduced  the  artist  to  the  audience,  in  this 
way  making  him  again  known  to  the  people  of 
Portland  among  whom  he  had  once  lived,  and 
where  he  had  found  some  of  his  dearest  friends. 
The  mayor  of  Portland,  Hon.  George  W.  True, 
accepted  the  gift  of  the  association  to  the  city. 
"Art,"  he  said,  "has  no  nobler  office  than  to  perpet- 
uate the  memory  and  impress  the  lessons  of  noble 
deeds.  That  office  is  here  well  done.  Let  no  one 
regret  that  the  fulfilment  of  this  work  has  been 
delayed  till  now,  for  time  has  protected  us  against 
hasty  and  crude  performance." 

In  all  these  years  at  Rome  Mr.  Simmons'  mind 
had  been  expanding.  While  engaged  in  his  work 
as  thus  far  indicated,  he  had  also  been  employed  in 
modeling  and  executing  such  ideal  statues  as  rep- 
resented his  efforts  to  carry  his  art  into  higher 
and  higher  reaches.  All  around  him  in  Rome  were 
works  of  the  great  sculptors  of  many  centuries,  and, 
as  he  has  left  no  record  of  the  dates  of  his  own 
works  as  they  came  from  his  hands  in  the  passing 
years,  we  certainly  shall  not  go  far  astray  if  we 
think  of  him  as  already  busily  employed  upon  some 
of  the  best  known  and  most  admired  of  his  ideal 
statues.  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  the 
modeling  of  his  Penelope  belongs  to  this  period. 
In  1907,  it  was  stated  that  already  three  copies  in 
marble  of  this  loveliest  of  Mr.  Simmons'  creations 

130 


had  been  sold,  one  to  Commodore  Gerry  of  New 
York,  one  to  Hon.  E.  S.  Converse  of  Boston,  and 
another  to  Mr.  Wells  of  Burlington,  Vt,  and  there 
is  a  fourth  in  the  Simmons  memorial  collection  in 
Portland. 

These  were  happy  years  in  the  sculptor's  life. 
June  9,  1892,  Mr.  Simmons  had  married  Ella  B., 
Baroness  Ernst  von  Jeinsen,  daughter  of  John  F. 
and  Almeda  (Bourne)  Slocum,  of  Providence,  R.  I. 
Her  husband,  a  German  nobleman,  died  a  few  years 
after  their  marriage.  While  on  a  visit  to  Rome 
she  became  interested  in  Mr.  Simmons'  art,  and 
then  in  the  artist.  The  union  was  a  happy  one. 
More  and  more  frequently  now,  Americans  and 
other  visitors  in  Rome  found  their  way  to  Mr. 
Simmons'  studio  in  the  Via  San  Nicolo  Tolentino; 
while  at  his  villa  on  the  Venti  Settembre  he  and 
Mrs.  Simmons  were  wont  cordially  to  welcome 
members  of  the  American  colony  in  Rome  and  also 
American  and  other  visitors  in  the  Italian  capital. 
Hither  Judge  Symonds,  accompanied  by  his  son, 
came  in  1896,  affording  Mr.  Simmons  long  desired 
opportunities  not  only  for  welcoming  an  old  friend 
to  his  studio,  but  for  showing  to  him  and  his  son 
the  historical  places  and  abundant  art  treasures  of 
Rome. 

At  the  time  of  Judge  Symonds'  visit  Mr.  Sim- 
mons was  at  work  on  his  statue  of  General  John  A. 
Logan.  Seven  or  eight  years  were  devoted  largely 

131 


to  this  most  elaborate  of  the  sculptor's  undertakings. 
The  statue  when  completed  was  unique  in  this,  that 
the  massive  pedestal,  as  well  as  the  horse  and  his 
rider,  was  in  bronze.  General  Logan  is  represented 
by  Mr.  Simmons  as  riding  slowly  along  his  battle 
line,  with  drawn  sword,  awaiting  the  supreme  mo- 
ment when  he  will  move  with  his  whole  force  upon 
the  enemy.  In  high  relief  on  the  east  and  west 
sides  of  the  pedestal  are  panels  with  figures  illus- 
trating the  twofold  character  of  General  Logan's 
public  service  as  soldier  and  statesman ;  that  on  the 
west  side  representing  a  council  of  war,  and  that  on 
the  east  side  representing  a  group  of  senators. 
The  statue,  located  on  Iowa  Circle  in  Washington, 
was  unveiled  April  9,  1901.  Both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Simmons  were  present.  President  McKinley  deliv- 
ered the  oration,  and  there  were  addresses  by  Sen- 
tors  Cullom  and  Depew.  Mrs.  Logan  was  so  well 
satisfied  with  Mr.  Simmons'  work  that  in  her  "Rem- 
iniscences of  a  Soldier's  Wife"  she  mentions  the 
statue  in  these  words :  "This  is  without  question 
the  finest  statue  in  this  country  because  of  its 
repose  and  artistic  merit,  to  say  nothing  of  the  fine 
likeness  to  General  Logan  and  the  well-modeled 
horse." 

More  than  thirty  years  had  now  passed  since  Mr. 
Simmons  established  his  studio  in  Rome.  During 
this  time  he  seems  to  have  given  little  if  any  atten- 
tion to  other  parts  of  Europe.  His  visits  to  this 

132 


country  were  few,  and  chiefly  in  connection  with 
his  studio  work.  It  had  been  and  still  was  his  pur- 
pose to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  his  talents  and 
his  opportunities,  and  busy  endeavor  characterized 
the  fleeting  years.  In  1906,  Judge  Symonds  and  his 
son  made  a  second  visit  to  Rome.  Meanwhile  Mrs. 
Simmons  had  died,  her  death  occurring  December 
23>  I9°S-  Nothing  could  have  been  more  timely 
than  Judge  Symonds'  appearance  in  Rome  following 
such  a  bereavement.  Mr.  Simmons  had  contin- 
ued at  his  tasks,  but  under  circumstances  that  were 
depressing.  The  course  of  his  thoughts,  by  the 
arrival  of  Judge  Symonds,  was  now  changed,  and  he 
was  drawn  from  his  tasks  to  walks  about  Rome  with 
companionship  that  he  enjoyed,  and  among  scenes 
interesting  and  inspiring.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that,  before  Judge  Symonds'  visit,  Mr.  Simmons' 
thoughts  had  begun  to  take  shape  with  reference  to 
an  art  museum  in  Portland,  and  that  he  now  availed 
himself  of  the  opportunity  to  open  his  mind  to  his 
visitor.  Mr.  Simmons  was  then  sixty-seven  years 
old.  The  largest  part  of  his  life-work  was  done. 
There  were  art  collections  in  some  of  the  larger 
cities  of  the  United  States.  Why  should  not  Port- 
land, the  chief  city  in  his  native  state,  have  its  art 
museum  ? 

However  this  may  be,  when  some  months  after 
Judge  Symonds  was  in  Rome,  Mr.  Simmons  had 
given  so  much  thought  to  such  a  consideration  that 

133 


March  10,  1907,  he  wrote  to  the  Judge:  "I  am  will- 
ing to  give  fifty  thousand  dollars  towards  it  when  I 
die.  If  a  few  others  will  do  something,  a  sufficiently 
fine  building  can  be  erected."  In  another  letter, 
April  4th,  he  made  mention  of  an  art  building  "where 
works  of  art  of  all  kinds  can  be  placed.  .  .  .  As  it 
is  now,"  he  said,  "if  anybody  wishes  to  make  a  pres- 
ent to  Portland  of  some  valuable  portraits,  bronzes, 
old  china,  there  is  no  place  to  put  them."  As  to  a 
proper  location  in  Portland  for  such  a  building  Mr. 
Simmons,  in  a  letter  to  Judge  Symonds,  February 
23,  1908,  wrote:  "The  only  place  that  I  thought  of 
when  I  was  in  Portland  was  the  land  in  front  of  J. 
B.  Brown's  house.  That  would  be  a  good  location. 
There  should  be  an  empty  space  about  the  museum 
building."  Later,  evidently  having  learned  of  the 
bequest  of  Mrs.  Swett  to  the  Portland  Society  of 
Art,  he  wrote  to  Judge  Symonds:  "It  seems  unex- 
pectedly [that]  there  is  to  be  a  museum;  and  that 
will  be  a  good  thing  for  Portland."  The  only  sug- 
gestion he  had  to  make  concerning  it  had  reference 
to  light.  "I  wish  you  would  impress  this  upon  those 
who  will  carry  the  matter  through."  With  these 
words  Mr.  Simmons'  thought  of  a  museum  for  Port- 
land seems  to  have  ended,  except  as  it  appears  in 
his  will  in  his  own  handwriting,  and  dated  only  a 
few  months  before  he  died. 

For  a  long  time  Mr.  Simmons  had  been  interested 
in  what  he  called  "the  hypothesis  of  communication 

134 


between  the  living  and  the  dead."  His  thoughts 
now  seem  to  have  been  more  frequently  given  to 
such  matters  than  hitherto.  Writing,  in  1907,  with 
reference  to  a  letter  he  had  just  received  from 
Judge  Symonds,  he  said:  "You  speak  of  me  as  a 
spiritist.  I  wish  that  I  fully  believed,  but  I  have 
never  quite  reached  that  point.  I  like  to  think  that 
it  is  true  and  like  to  hear  about  it,  and  have  seen 
some  wonderful  things,  although  my  experience 
is  much  more  limited  than  that  of  some  others." 
So  eagerly  was  he  interested  in  this  subject  that 
through  a  friend  he  secured  from  Professor  Charles 
Richet  of  Paris  (then  and  still  prominent  in  scien- 
tific investigations  with  reference  to  such  matters), 
an  answer  to  a  request  for  an  opinion  on  the  sub- 
ject. This  reply  interested  Mr.  Simmons  so  much 
that,  April  4,  1907,  he  sent  to  Judge  Symonds  a 
copy  of  Professor  Richet's  letter,  as  follows :  "I  am 
not  very  much  embarrassed  in  saying  what  I  believe. 
I  very  firmly  believe  that  in  this  domain  of  the 
Psychical  Sciences  discoveries  will  be  made  from 
which  our  present  hopes  will  be  considered  very 
poor  dreams.  I  believe  the  reality  is  above  our 
boldest  conceptions ;  but,  as  to  that  which  is  already 
proven,  my  good  faith  as  a  savant  obliges  me  to  say 
that  there  are  only  indications.  Precious  as  they 
are  they  are  not  certainties." 

This  subject  doubtless  had  an  added  interest  to 
Mr.  Simmons  following  the  death  of  his  wife,  which 

135 


occurred  December  23,  1905.  In  the  twelve  years 
since  their  marriage  she  had  brought  into  his  life 
much  that  was  helpful  as  well  as  enjoyable.  His 
friend,  Mr.  Frank  L.  Dingley,  who  visited  them  in 
the  Simmons  home  in  Rome,  mentioned  Mrs. 
Simmons  on  his  return  as  a  woman  of  culture,  and 
possessed  of  unusual  gifts,  having  marked  ability 
in  drama  and  song.  "Their  receptions,"  he  added, 
"are  among  the  most  popular  in  the  city,  especially 
within  the  limits  of  the  American  colony."  Her 
death  ended  the  home-life  that  had  given  Mr.  Sim- 
mons so  much  satisfaction.  Naturally  his  thoughts 
now  increasingly  reverted  to  his  old  friends  and  his 
old  home  across  the  sea. 

As  early  as  April  28,  1909,  Mr.  Simmons  wrote 
to  Judge  Symonds:  "I  am  thinking  of  going  to 
London  if  not  to  America."  He  had  in  mind  his 
old  Portland  friend,  Harry  [Harrison  B.]  Brown, 
then  living  in  London.  By  the  middle  of  June, 
when  he  started  for  London,  he  had  already  decided 
to  see  the  homeland  also.  What  a  memorable  meet- 
ing that  was  in  London,  as  Simmons,  at  seventy 
years  of  age,  met  Brown,  at  seventy-seven,  after  a 
lapse  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century !  Most 
of  their  time  was  given  to  the  art  treasures  of  the 
great  metropolis.  "We  have  had  a  good  time  going 
to  the  art  galleries  together,"  Mr.  Simmons  wrote 
to  Judge  Symonds.  "The  other  day  I  went  to 
Reynolds'  [Sir  Joshua]  old  studio,  and  saw  the 

136 


same  room  (which  they  told  me  was  unaltered) 
where  Johnson,  Burke,  Goldsmith  and  Boswell 
dined  together  with  the  painter."  In  another  letter 
to  the  same  he  wrote :  "Brown  is  going  with  me 
to  Westminster  Abbey,  where  we  will  look  over 
the  memorials.  ...  I  am  impressed  with  the 
charm  of  London." 

At  the  close  of  July,  1909,  Mr.  Simmons  contin- 
ued his  homeward  journey,  and  the  remainder  of 
the  year  was  spent  in  visits  among  friends  in  places 
between  Maine  and  Washington.  He  was  in  the 
latter  place  early  in  November,  evidently  in  search 
of  whatever  would  be  helpful  to  him  in  making  a 
statue  of  Commodore  Preble,  which  he  thought 
should  find  a  place  among  the  art  treasures  of  Port- 
land. He  thought  also  that  Portland  should  have 
a  statue  of  Neal  Dow.  About  the  middle  of  De- 
cember he  was  in  Portland,  and  the  Sunday  Times 
of  December  19,  1909,  devoted  a  page  to  illustra- 
tions of  Mr.  Simmons'  works,  including  his  statue 
of  Alexander  Hamilton,1  at  Paterson,  New  Jersey, 

*At  the  close  of  the  meeting  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  when 
this  paper  was  read,  Hon.  L/eslie  C.  Cornish,  of  Augusta,  chief  justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Maine,  recalled  a  visit  which  he  made  to  Mr. 
Simmons'  studio  in  Rome  when  this  statue  was  there.  While  be  was 
viewing  the  statue,  he  said,  interested  in  the  subject  as  well  as  in  the 
sculptor's  art,  Mr.  Simmons  asked,  "Do  you  know  whose  hands 
those  are?"  pointing  to  the  hands  of  the  statue.  As  the  judge  nat- 
urally was  not  able  to  make  an  affirmative  reply,  Mr.  Simmons  fur- 
nished the  information:  "They  are  the  hands  of  Booth  Tarkington." 
After  the  lapse  of  many  years  Mr.  Tarkington  still  has  a  very  vivid 


137 


the  sitting  statue  of  Medusa,  a  bust  of  General  W. 
T.  Sherman  and  an  architectural  decoration  entitled 
The  Genius  of  Progress  Leading  the  Nations.  "In 
all  these  forms  of  sculpture,"  an  editorial  remarked, 
"Mr.  Simmons  has  worked  with  signal  success 
through  the  years  of  a  long  and  vigorous  lifetime." 
Mr.  Simmons  was  again  in  Rome  shortly  after 
the  middle  of  January,  1910.  Here  once  more  he 
returned  to  unfinished  tasks  in  his  studio,  especially 
to  his  Hercules  and  Alcestis.  Mention  also  is  made 
of  a  statue  of  the  Witch  of  Endor.  In  the  following 
vacation  season  he  availed  himself  of  an  opportunity 
for  change,  which,  in  ever  attractive  Paris,  he  wel- 
comed with  more  than  usual  interest.  Toward  the 
close  of  the  year,  Judge  Symonds  sent  to  him  an 
encouraging  report  concerning  art  matters  in  Port- 
land. "I  think  Mr.  Stevens,  the  architect,  is  mak- 
ing a  fine  thing  of  the  new  rooms  for  the  Society 
of  Art,  the  Swett  memorial.  The  old  mansion  is 
restored  and  preserved  in  its  best  estate,  and  made 
to  match  almost  perfectly  in  color  and  effect  the 
new  hall  erected  in  the  garden.  I  think  you  will 
say  that  it  is  exceedingly  good.  The  old  fence  was 
quite  an  elaborate  one,  and  that  has  been  restored 
precisely  as  it  was  originally  built.  Throughout 
the  work,  I  understand  that  the  original  panelling, 
molding,  wood  carving,  etc.,  have  been  preserved  or 

recollection  of  his  experiences  in  connection  with  the  modeling  of 
those  hands. 

138 


restored  just  as  they  were,  and  the  new  work  all 
made  of  the  same  patterns." 

In  the  summer  of  1911,  Mr.  Simmons  journeyed 
homeward  by  way  of  London,  where  again,  with 
Harry  Brown,  he  visited  places  of  deep  interest  to 
them  both.  Early  in  October  he  was  in  Boston. 
Later  he  was  in  New  York  and  Washington.  But 
evidently  these  visits  were  not  with  earlier  interest. 
"Do  not  get  impatient  and  rush  away  to  London," 
was  Judge  Symonds'  exhortation,  and  the  judge 
suggested  that  Mr.  Simmons  should  settle  down 
quietly  in  some  place  and  learn  to  enjoy  leisure  for 
a  year  at  least.  He  had  desired,  he  added,  that  they 
might  have  a  long  time  together  in  Italy  and  also 
in  Greece.  "We  really  hope  you  can  be  with  us  on 
Thanksgiving,"  and  "a  nipping  and  an  eager  air" 
was  a  luxury  that  was  promised  if  the  invitation  was 
accepted.  But  the  climate  of  Washington  seemed 
to  hold  the  visitor  firmly  there,  and  at  the  close  of 
'January,  1912,  he  sailed  from  New  York  for  Rome 
by  way  of  London,  Paris  and  Florence.  In  London 
he  was  greatly  disappointed  in  finding  Harry  Brown 
too  ill  to  see  him  except  for  a  moment.  "I  told 
him,"  Mr.  Simmons  wrote  to  Judge  Symonds,  "that 
Portland  people  sent  their  love  to  him."  Mr.  Brown, 
however,  outlived  his  friend,  dying  in  London, 
March  10,  1915. 

Again  Mr.  Simmons  resumed  work  in  his  studio. 
His  Hercules  and  Alcestis,  upon  which  he  had 

139 


spent  so  much  time  in  recent  years,  received  added 
attention  in  his  strong  desire  to  bring  the  work  to 
a  completion.  Also,  if  there  was  to  be  a  collection 
of  his  statues  in  Portland,  as  he  desired,  it  was  nec- 
essary that  the  work  of  preparation  on  his  part 
should  not  longer  be  deferred.  It  is  significant  that 
the  copy  in  marble  of  his  Promised  Land,  now  in 
possession  of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art,  was  made 
in  1912.  Judge  Symonds  wrote  to  Mr.  Simmons, 
February  3,  1912,  "I  think  of  you  as  putting  all 
your  time  into  ideal  work.  It  seems  to  me  that  in 
that  way,  better  than  in  any  other,  you  can  crown  a 
life  that  has  done  so  many  fine  things  and  accom- 
plished so  much." 

The  opening  of  1913  found  Mr.  Simmons  still  at 
his  tasks,  but  evidently  not  with  his  former  strength. 
January  23rd,  he  wrote  to  Judge  Symonds:  "I  was 
well  during  the  summer,  but  was  taken  ill  in  Octo- 
ber with  some  stomach  trouble,  what  the  doctor 
calls  nervous  dyspepsia,  and  am  not  well  yet.  I 
have  been  able  to  work,  but  not  so  hard  as  usually. 
The  group  [Hercules  and  Alcestis]  is  going  on 
well,  but  will  require  some  months  to  complete  it. 
I  hope  to  finish  it  in  season  to  go  home  this  sum- 
mer. I  always  like  to  go  to  Portland.  So  long  as 
my  Maine  friends  live  I  can  let  the  rest  of  the 
world  go."  To  his  cousin,  Mr.  Augustine  Simmons 
of  North  Anson,  he  wrote,  March  2ist:  "I  wanted  to 
go  home  this  summer,  but  am  not  at  all  sure  fhat  I 

140 


can  on  account  of  Hercules,  &c.,  for  I  can't  leave 
that  work  until  it  is  done,  and  it  will  take  all  sum- 
mer I  fear."  Visitors  to  Mr.  Simmons'  studio  at 
this  time  found  him  at  his  tasks,  but  giving  evi- 
dence of  advancing  years.  His  last  letter  to  Judge 
Symonds  was  written  November  25th:  "I  have  not 
been  well  the  past  year,  but  am  able  to  work.  I 
think  spending  two  summers  in  Rome  was  not  a 
good  thing.  When  the  work  is  done  I  shall  feel 
free  to  leave  for  home.  I  shall  be  glad  when  the 
time  comes."  The  work  was  at  length  done.  His 
Hercules  and  Alcestis  had  received  the  last  touches, 
and  he  was  now  free  to  say  farewell  to  Rome  in 
closing  a  long  and  successful  career.  But  he  was 
not  to  see  the  homeland.  In  the  gladness  he  expe- 
rienced in  the  completion  of  his  task,  he  certainly 
had  a  great  joy;  but  evidently  his  strength  was 
exhausted.  He  had  loosed  the  silver  cord,  and  he 
died  suddenly,  perhaps  unexpectedly,  in  Rome, 
December  6,  1913.  In  the  American  cemetery  in 
Rome,  where  he  had  buried  his  two  wives,  and 
where  he  had  erected  a  replica  of  his  Angel  of  the 
Resurrection,  there  he  now  was  buried  also. 

Perhaps  nothing  was  more  "characteristic  of  Mr. 
Simmons  than  his  interest  in  astrology,  palmistry, 
spiritualism,  materializations,  theosophy,  in  fact, 
whatever  had  reference  to  old  thought  or  new 
thought  concerning  the  mysteries  of  life  into  which 
he  desired  to  penetrate.  His  conversation  and  his 

141 


letters  indicated  how  much  his  mind  for  a  long  time 
had  been  active  with  reference  to  such  matters. 
That  there  was  a  future  life  he  had  no  doubt.  His 
Angel  of  the  Resurrection  was  a  declaration  of  his 
faith.  Is  it  not  here,  also,  that  we  find  the  source 
of  Mr.  Simmons'  strong,  abiding  interest  in  his  work 
on  Hercules  and  Alcestis  during  the  years  follow- 
ing the  death  of  his  wife  ?  On  it  he  toiled,  in  sum- 
mer and  winter,  up  to  the  limit  of  his  strength,  with 
an  irrepressible  desire  to  complete  his  task  worthily. 
The  story  is  that  of  Euripides  in  one  of  his  Greek 
tragedies,  written  between  four  and  five  centuries 
before  the  Christian  era.  It  had  been  decreed  by 
the  Fates — so  runs  the  story — that  Admetus,  king 
of  Pherae,  in  southern  Thessaly,  should  die.  Apollo, 
who  had  been  befriended  by  Admetus,  obtained  a 
reprieve  for  the  king,  provided  someone  could  be 
found  to  take  his  place.  Search,  however,  was 
unavailing,  and  in  this  extremity,  Alcestis,  the 
young  and  lovely  wife  of  the  king,  notwithstanding 
the  efforts  of  Admetus  to  save  her,  volunteered  as  a 
substitute  for  her  husband,  and  the  stroke  of  the 
Fates  fell  upon  her.  Following  her  death  Hercules 
arrives  at  the  king's  palace  and  seeks  hospitality, 
not  knowing  that  the  palace  is  in  mourning  because 
of  the  death  of  Alcestis.  When  he  learns  who  it  is 
that  has  died,  Hercules  resolves  to  bring  her  back 
to  life.  In  this  he  is  successful,  and  it  is  his 
victory  that  Mr.  Simmons  sought  to  represent  in  his 

142 


Hercules  and  Alcestis.  Of  giant  form,  the  strong 
man  is  standing  by  the  side  of  the  uplifted  and 
sitting  Alcestis.  All  his  powers — body,  soul  and 
spirit — are  engaged  in  the  mighty  effort.  Nothing 
is  withheld,  so  intent  is  Hercules  upon  victory. 
Look  now  at  Alcestis.  Already  she  is  wonderingly 
gazing  up  into  the  face  of  her  deliverer,  while  in 
her  own  face  returning  life  is  seen  making  its  way 
once  more  through  familiar  channels  and  gratefully 
meaning  the  words  which  as  yet  she  cannot  speak. 
If  in  the  figure  of  Hercules  the  artist  has  given 
expression  to  the  Herculean  purpose  which  the  case 
of  Alcestis  demanded,  so  in  the  upturned  glowing 
face  of  Alcestis  he  has  told  the  story  of  assured 
victory.  In  other  words,  as  over  his  dead  Mr. 
Simmons  placed  his  Angel  of  the  Resurrection,  so 
now  in  his  Hercules  and  Alcestis,  his  last  all- 
absorbing  task,  he  takes  up  the  thought  of  the 
apostle  Paul  in  his  memorable  challenge,  "O  death* 
where  is  now  thy  sting?  O  grave,  where  is  now 
thy  victory  ? " 

A  copy  of  Mr.  Simmons'  will  at  length  reached 
this  country.  In  it  he  bequeathed  to  Augustine 
Simmons,  of  North  Anson,  Maine,  $10,000  and  an 
annuity  of  $1,000;  to  Mr.  Frank  L.  Dingley,  of 
Lewiston,  Maine,  his  early,  life-long  friend,  $5,000; 
to  Colby  College  a  sum  sufficient  to  found  a  schol- 
arship in  honor  of  George  Knox,  to  be  called  "The 
Knox  Scholarship" ;  and  the  balance  of  his  property 

143 


to  the  city  of  Portland.  The  will,  which  was  signed 
"Rome,  April,  1913,  Franklin  Simmons,"  was  wholly 
in  Mr.  Simmons'  handwriting.  When  it  was  offered 
for  probate  in  the  Probate  Court  of  Cumberland 
County,  Maine,  it  was  received  and  allowed  by  that 
court,  July  30,  1914.  Objections,  however,  were 
made  by  relatives  of  Mr.  Simmons,  who  claimed, 
among  other  matters,  that  the  will  was  not  executed 
according  to  law  in  that  there  was  no  day  of  the 
month  mentioned  in  the  date  on  the  will.  As  the 
result  of  the  hearing  upon  the  objection  thus  raised, 
a  compromise  was  arranged  between  the  estate  and 
the  contestants  whereby  the  sum  of  $25,000  was 
paid  to  the  latter  in  full  settlement  of  their  claims. 
The  residue  of  the  estate  given  to  the  city  of 
Portland  (after  payment  of  all  legacies,  debts  and 
expenses  of  administration)  consisted  of  cash,  stocks 
and  bonds  of  the  appraised  value  of  $45,258.09,  and 
certain  statuary  and  works  of  the  appraised  value 
of  $11, 800. 

After  the  compromise  with  the  heirs  was  con- 
firmed, Augustine  Simmons,  of  North  Anson,  and 
Carroll  S.  Chaplin,  city  solicitor  of  Portland,  were 
appointed  administrators  of  the  will.  Mr.  Simmons 
died  October  24,  1917.  On  account  of  the  World 
War  and  court  proceedings  with  reference  to  Mr. 
Simmons'  will,  all  of  the  statuary  and  studio  equip- 
ment remained  in  Rome  as  he  left  them  until  1917, 
when  they  were  placed  in  storage  in  a  fireproof 

144 


garage.  In  the  spring  of  1920,  Mr.  Chaplin  went 
to  Rome  for  the  settlement  of  matters  relating  to 
the  Simmons'  estate.  There  he  had  proper  inscrip- 
tions carved  upon  the  monument  over  the  grave  of 
Mr.  Simmons,  placed  the  cemetery  lot  and  monu- 
ment in  perpetual  care,  and  shipped  the  remaining 
statuary  and  works  of  art  to  Portland. 

For  some  time  after  the  arrival  of  these  art 
bequests,  the  city  government  of  Portland  was  in 
doubt  as  to  the  best  method  for  the  disposition  of 
Mr.  Simmons'  gifts.  At  length  a  special  committee 
was  appointed  to  consider  the  matter.  This  com- 
mittee recommended,  and  the  city  council  decided, 
that  the  best  disposition  that  could  be  made  of  both 
the  statuary  and  pecuniary  legacy  was  to  hand  them 
over  to  the  Portland  Society  of  Art.  This  was 
done  in  November,  1921,  under  certain  conditions 
to  which  the  Society  of  Art  agreed.  This  collection 
includes  four  bronzes  —  Galatea,  Sybil,  Paris  and 
Washington  at  Valley  Forge ;  seven  works  in  mar- 
ble— The  Promised  Land,  The  Mother  of  Moses, 
Medusa,  Penelope,  General  Grant,  bust  of  Franklin 
Simmons'  mother,  and  vase  with  doves ;  also  three 
plaster  casts  —  Hercules  and  Alcestis,  bust  of 
Franklin  Simmons,  and  the  bust  of  the  second  Mrs. 
Simmons.  The  collection  is  known  as  "The  Frank- 
lin Simmons  Memorial."  The  Society  of  Art  is 
also  in  possession  of  two  other  works  by  Mr.  Sim- 
mons— a  marble  bust  of  Samuel  E.  Spring,  of  Port- 

10  145 


land,  and  a  medallion  portrait  (made  in  the  summer 
of  1905)  of  Rev.  John  Carroll  Perkins,  D.  D.,  of 
Seattle,  Washington,  formerly  pastor  of  the  First 
Parish  Church,  Portland.  The  Maine  Historical 
Society  has  also  in  its  care  such  works  by  Mr. 
Simmons  as  his  bust  of  John  B.  Brown  in  marble, 
as  already  mentioned,  also  plaster  busts  of  Hannibal 
Hamlin  and  Harrison  B.  Brown.  Also,  in  the 
Greenleaf  Law  Library,  Portland,  there  is  a  bust  in 
marble  of  William  H.  Clifford,  of  Portland,  made  by 
Mr.  Simmons  in  1885.  It  is  said  also  that  he  made 
a  bust  in  marble  of  Payson  Tucker,  formerly  mana- 
ger of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad,  but  as  yet  I  have 
not  been  able  to  locate  it.  It  is  said  that  Mr.  Sim- 
mons is  represented  in  this  country  by  a  hundred 
busts,  either  in  marble  or  plaster. 

In  Washington,  beside  works  already  mentioned, 
Mr.  Simmons  is  represented  by  a  statue  of  Governor 
Francis  H.  Pierpont  in  Statuary  Hall,  and  the  por- 
trait busts  of  Vice-Presidents  Hamlin,  Stevenson 
and  Fairbanks  in  the  Senate  wing. 

It  should  be  added  that  Mr.  Simmons  was  thrice 
decorated  by  the  king  of  Italy;  his  last  decoration 
being  Commendatore  of  the  crown  of  Italy.  In 
1888,  Bowdoin  College  conferred  upon  Mr.  Sim- 
mons the  honorary  degree  of  Master  of  Arts. 

From  this  brief  review  of  the  life  of  Franklin 
Simmons  two  traits  in  his  character  connected  with 
his  life-work  stand  out  very  prominently.  In  the 

146 


first  place,  a  definite  aim  as  to  what  he  would  be 
and  do  strongly  characterized  him  throughout  his 
career.  He  wanted  to  be  a  sculptor  before  he  had 
seen  a  bust  or  a  statue.  There  was  no  art  school 
in  Maine  in  his  boyhood.  No  teacher  was  available. 
He  began  to  model  figures  in  clay  because  this  was 
the  thing  he  wanted  to  do.  From  such  a  begin- 
ning, he  made  his  way  to  Portland  and  Boston ; 
and  having  seen  busts  and  statues  he  wanted  to 
make  busts  and  statues.  Henceforth,  until  his 
death,  it  was  as  if  he  had  said,  "This  one  thing  I 
do!" 

A  tireless  energy,  also,  characterized  Mr.  Sim- 
mons. It  mastered  him  from  first  to  last.  No 
obstacles  hindered  or  discouraged  him.  No  allure- 
ments, however  attractive,  could  divert  him  from 
the  work  to  which  he  had  put  his  hands.  His 
pleasure  he  found  in  his  art.  Steadily,  energeti- 
cally, he  kept  at  his  task.  In  failing  health,  under 
the  oppressive  heat  of  summer  in  Rome,  the  indom- 
itable spirit  that  had  characterized  him  from  boyhood 
was  still  his  master.  His  Hercules  and  Alcestis 
must  be  carried  forward  to  completion;  and  when 
this  was  accomplished,  but  not  till  then,  did  the 
tired,  weary  sculptor  rest  from  his  labors. 


147 


CENTENNIAL 


OF   THE 


MAINE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 


APRIL    11,   1922 


I.     THE    MAINE    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY  IN   BRUNS- 
WICK, 

BY  PRESIDENT  KENNETH  C.  M.  SILLS, 
OF  BOWDOIN  COLLEGE. 

II.     THE    MAINE    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY    AT  PORT- 
LAND. 

BY    HON.   AUGUSTUS  F.   MOULTON,  OF 
PORTLAND. 


PORTLAND,  1922. 


FOREWORD. 

The  organization  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  in  1822 
followed  closely  upon  the  separation  of  what  was  once  the 
Province  of  Maine  from  what  had  long  been  known  as  the 
Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts.  In  two  carefully  pre- 
pared papers  a  review  of  the  first  century  of  the  Society's 
work  is  herewith  presented.  The  meeting  for  this  purpose 
was  held  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  April  11,  1922, 
in  the  hall  of  the  Library  Building  on  what  was  once  the 
IvOngfellow  property  in  Portland.  Although  the  weather 
was  somewhat  unfavorable,  the  audience  was  large,  and 
both  Dr.  Sills  and  Mr.  Moulton  had  deeply  interested  and 
most  appreciative  hearers.  At  the  close  of  these  literary 
services  each  speaker  received  a  very  hearty  vote  of  thanks. 

Following  this  vote,  and  recalling  an  allusion  in  Dr.  Sills' 
paper  to  Hon.  John  A.  Poor's  address  in  1859  on  "English 
Colonization  in  America,"  the  president  of  the  society, 
Dr.  Burrage,  said  that  the  more  he  became  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Poor's  work  in  connection  with  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society  the  more  he  was  impressed  with  the  value 
of  the  services  rendered  by  Mr.  Poor.  His  range  of  vision 
naturally  was  limited.  Very  largely  the  sources  of  infor- 
mation as  to  the  beginnings  of  our  Maine  history  were  not 
here  then.  Accordingly  some  of  the  conclusions  in  his  his- 
torical papers  would  not  now  be  accepted.  But,  more  than 

151 


any  of  his  associates,  he  seemed  to  be  impressed  with  the 
value  and  therefore  the  importance  of  original  sources  in 
historical  work.  His  papers  in  their  footnotes  show  a  firm 
grasp  upon  such  sources  as  were  within  his  reach.  Also, 
too,  Mr.  Poor  sought  to  interest  the  people  of  Maine  in  the 
history  of  their  state.  He  was  by  far  the  most  inspiring 
personality  and  indefatigable  worker  among  his  associates 
in  the  society.  To  him  especially  was  due  the  great  Pop- 
ham  celebration  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kennebec,  August  29, 
1862,  the  first  of  our  memorable  field-days.  While  the 
society  then  had  other  members  of  great  personal  worth 
and  large  attainments,  there  was  only  one  John  A.  Poor, 
and  we  do  well  to  honor  his  memory. 

Following  these  more  formal  proceedings,  the  members 
of  the  society  and  their  guests  assembled  in  the  library 
below,  where  coffee  and  cakes  were  served,  and  where, 
among  flowers  and  many  interesting  historical  treasures,  an 
opportunity  was  afforded  for  a  social  hour,  with  greetings 
and  felicitations  appropriate  to  the  occasion. 

The  second  centennial  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  is 
far  away.  May  it  find  its  members  in  possession  of  its 
historic  property  and  of  historical  treasures  of  much  greater 
interest  and  value  than  are  now  in  the  society's  care  ;  also 
with  larger  opportunities  for  usefulness  in  their  important 
work ! 


152 


THE  MAINE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
IN  BRUNSWICK. 

1822-1880 


By  KENNETH  C.  M.  SILLS,  L,L,.  D. 

In  his  famous  preface,  Livy,  the  Roman  histo- 
rian, tells  us  that  in  reading  history  everyone  should 
consider  these  points:  What  life  and  manners  were 
in  ancient  times;  and  through  what  men  and  by 
what  means,  both  in  peace  and  in  war,  empire 
was  acquired  and  extended.  He  then  goes  on : 
"  This  it  is  which  is  particularly  salutary  and 
profitable  in  the  study  of  history,  that  you  behold 
instances  of  every  variety  of  conduct  displayed  as 
on  a  conspicuous  monument,  that  thence  you  may 
select  for  yourself  and  for  your  country  that  which 
you  may  imitate ;  thence  note  what  is  shameful  in 
the  undertaking  and  shameful  in  the  result  which 
you  may  avoid." 

It  is  well  to  keep  these  precepts  in  mind  as  we 
survey,  this  afternoon,  the  origins  of  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society  and  its  progress  until  it  forsook  the 
quiet  of  the  college  of  the  pines  for  the  din  of  the 
Forest  City.  We  do  not,  to  be  sure,  like  the 

155 


Romans,  trace  our  august  beginnings  to  the  activ- 
ity of  the  gods  or  of  Mars  in  particular ;  but  the 
society  did  owe  its  origin  to  that  greater  culture  and 
greater  degree  of  leisure  which  marked  the  passing 
of  a  pioneer,  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts 
District,  into  the  urbane  and  beloved  state  of  Maine. 
Indeed,  before  1820  very  few  works,  either  historical 
or  literary,  had  been  published  in  our  state  with  the 
exception  of  sermons  and  occasional  addresses  which 
had  then  a  very  great  popularity.  Among  the  more 
notable  pamphlets  or  essays  were  some  evidently  of 
the  propagandist  type  designed  to  promote  immi- 
gration into  the  district.  There  were  also  a  few 
volumes  on  Maine  contributed  to  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Collections.  In  1795  appeared  "The 
History  of  Maine,"  by  General  Sullivan,  a  valuable 
historical  work.  From  1790  to  1820  there  were 
naturally  many  pamphlets  published  on  the  subject 
of  separation,  but  the  number  of  books  written  for 
purely  literary  or  historical  purposes  can  easily  be 
counted  on  the  fingers  of  one  hand. 

When  Maine  became  a  state,  in  1820,  her  people 
very  naturally  desired,  not  only  from  local  pride  but 
also  from  other  even  more  praiseworthy  motives,  to 
establish  a  reputation  for  interest  in  learning  and 
culture.  It  is  one  of  the  excellent  fruits  of  inde- 
pendence that  a  state  wishing  to  stand  by  itself,  as 
the  name  implies,  is  ambitious  to  encourage  not 
only  industry  but  literature  and  the  arts,  as  a  sign 

156 


that  the  people  are  able  to  look  after  their  own 
higher  interests.  Consequently  we  find  the  first 
Legislature,  which  met  here  in  the  city  of  Portland 
in  the  month  of  May,  1820,  giving  grants  to  Bow- 
doin  College  and  Waterville  College,  establishing 
the  Medical  School  of  Maine,  and  in  general  adopt- 
ing what  was  for  those  days  a  liberal  policy  toward 
education.  In  1821  the  Maine  Medical  Society 
was  incorporated. 

On  February  4,  1822,  a  bill  to  incorporate  the 
Maine  Historical  Society  was  passed  in  the  House 
of  Representatives,  and  the  following  day  was  passed 
in  the  Senate  and  signed  by  the  governor,  Albion 
K.  Parris.  The  act  of  incorporation  contains  the 
names  of  forty-nine  corporate  members,  headed  by 
William  Allen,  then  president  of  Bowdoin  College, 
and  Albion  K.  Parris,  governor  of  Maine.  The 
list  is  a  roster  of  names  famous  in  the  history  of  our 
state.  You  may  find  there  a  Mellen,  a  Preble,  a 
Payson,  a  Wingate,  a  Longfellow,  a  King,  a  Lincoln, 
a  Vaughan,  a  Weston,  a  Carey,  a  Robert  Hallowell 
Gardiner,  a  Peleg  Sprague,  a  Packard,  an  Abbott, 
a  Williamson,  a  Sewall,  a  Shepley  and  a  Dana. 
The  list  includes  three  who  were,  at  one  time  or 
another,  chief  justices  of  our  supreme  court  and  sev- 
eral who  became  federal  judges.  Six  of  the  incor- 
porators  later  became  presidents  of  this  society: 
Albion  K.  Parris,  William  Allen,  Ichabod  Nichols, 
Stephen  Longfellow,  Prentiss  Mellen  and  Robert 

157 


H.  Gardiner.  From  1822  to  1856,  without  a  break, 
the  destinies  of  the  society  were  guided  by  those 
who  were  interested  in,  and  indeed  present  at,  its 
birth.  The  second  section  of  the  act  of  incorpora- 
tion provided  that  the  annual  meeting  of  the  society 
should  be  held  at  Bowdoin  College  on  the  Tuesday 
next  preceding  the  annual  commencement ;  but  in 
1828  this  section  was  repealed,  and  the  society  was 
authorized  to  hold  their  annual  meeting  and  other 
meetings  at  such  times  and  places  as  it  may  think 
proper. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  society  was  held  at  Port- 
land just  one  hundred  years  ago  to-day,  April  n, 
1822.  There  were  present  Governor  Parris,  Chief 
Justice  Mellen,  Judge  Preble,  the  Rev.  Ichabod 
Nichols,  the  Rev.  Edward  Payson,  Judge  Ware,  the 
Rev.  J.  Coggswell  and  Edward  Russell.  In  the 
Eastern  Argus,  then  a  weekly  newspaper,  for  April 
1 6th  of  that  year  there  is  a  brief  account  of  this 
meeting.  It  was  held  in  the  Senate  Chamber  (in 
other  accounts  the  Council  Chamber)  and  the  fol- 
lowing officers  were  elected:  President,  Albion  K. 
Parris,  the  governor  of  Maine ;  recording  secretary, 
Benjamin  Hadley ;  corresponding  secretary,  Edward 
Russell ;  treasurer,  Prentiss  Mellen ;  librarian,  the 
Rev.  Edward  Payson. 

At  this  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
draw  up  by-laws  to  report  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
Brunswick  the  next  August,  commencement  then 

158 


being  at  that  time  of  the  year.  The  newspaper 
notice  requests:  "Gentlemen  in  possession  of  books, 
pamphlets  and  manuscripts  [evidently  ladies  in  those 
days  were  gallantly  supposed  not  to  be  interested  in 
erudition]  who  are  disposed  to  place  them  in  a  situ- 
ation to  be  useful  to  the  future  historian,  are  invited 
to  send  them  to  the  librarian." 

Yet  august  as  the  founding  of  the  society  was, 
with  the  governor  its  president  and  the  chief  justice 
its  treasurer,  in  its  early  years  it  had  the  usual  trials 
and  struggles.  Even  less  interest  than  is  the  case 
to-day  was  taken  in  historical  studies.  The  society 
had  to  rely  for  its  existence  on  annual  assessments ; 
it  had  no  wealthy  patrons  and  no  funds  for  publica- 
tions. Indeed,  until  1831  the  society  seems  to  have 
had  but  a  perfunctory  existence.  Yet  we  should 
not  withhold  credit  from  those  who  kept  the  society 
together  and  labored  in  its  behalf.  Governor  Parris 
held  the  office  of  president  but  one  year  and  was 
succeeded  by  President  William  Allen,  of  Bowdoin 
College,  who  presided  from  1823  until  1828.  Pres- 
ident Allen  was  a  good  deal  of  a  scholar  and  was 
particularly  interested,  in  philology  and  history. 
Graduating  from  Harvard  College  in  the  celebrated 
class  of  1802,  he  was  connected  with  that  institution 
for  some  years,  during  which  he  published,  in  1809, 
an  "American  Biographical  and  Historical  Diction- 
ary." The  third  edition  of  this  encyclopedic  work, 
printed  in  1837,  contained  more  than  seven  thou- 

159 


sand  biographical  notices — a  monument  to  the  pres- 
ident's industry,  if  not  to  his  discretion. 

The  close  connection  between  Bowdoin  College 
and  the  Maine  Historical  Society  is  shown  in  the 
early  officers.  Professor  Samuel  P.  Newman  was 
corresponding  secretary  in  1828  and  was  succeeded 
in  1829  by  Professor  Parker  Cleaveland,  who  held 
that  office  until  1858.  John  McKeen,  who  was  an 
overseer  of  Bowdoin  for  many  years,  was  treasurer 
of  the  Historical  Society  from  1836  to  1858. 
Parker  Cleaveland  was  librarian  from  1823  to  1829; 
the  office  was  held  also  by  Samuel  P.  Newman  from 
1829  to  1834;  by  Henry  W.  Longfellow  in  1834; 
and  by  Alpheus  S.  Packard  in  1835. 

In  the  early  period  of  its  history  the  society  also 
owed  much  to  its  third  president,  the  Rev.  Ichabod 
Nichols,  1828  to  1834,  the  very  scholarly  minister 
of  the  First  Parish  Church  of  Portland,  said  by 
William  Willis  to  be  "one  of  the  best  cultivated 
and  universal  scholars  that  Maine  has  cherished  in 
her  bosom."  Small  wonder  is  it,  then,  that  the  same 
historian  informs  us:  "From  excess  of  thought  and 
the  fulness  of  his  mind  his  sermons  often  rose  above 
the  level  of  the  common  apprehension  and  often 
required  close  attention  to  follow  the  course  of  his 
reasoning  and  argument."  But  be  it  remembered 
those  were  days  of  the  stalwart  sermon  tasters. 
Dr.  Nichols  was  greatly  interested  in  the  Histori- 


160 


cal  Society  and  presided  with  distinction  at  its 
meetings. 

It  was  during  Dr.  Nichols'  administration,  in 
1831,  that  the  first  volume  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Collections  appeared.  The  book  has  a  scholarly 
and  philosophical  preface  from  the  classical  pen  of 
Judge  Ware.  "We  are  told,"  he  writes,  "that 
Americans  love  rather  to  tell  of  what  they  will  do 
than  of  what  they  have  done,  and  boast  more  of 
what  their  posterity  will  be  than  of  what  their  an- 
cestors have  been" ;  and  he  goes  on  to  analyze  the 
reasons  why  historical  research  was  never  popular  in 
a  youthful  nation.  The  main  article  in  the  volume 
is  appropriately  the  "History  of  Portland  from  its 
First  Settlement  with  Notices  of  the  Neighboring 
Towns  and  of  the  Changes  in  Government  in 
Maine,"  by  William  Willis.  The  volume  also  con- 
tains brief  accounts  of  towns,  particularly  Limerick 
and  Wells,  some  petitions  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Maine  to  Cromwell  and  Charles  the  Second,  and 
the  original  letters  of  Benedict  Arnold,  written  in 
1775  while  on  his  expedition  through  Maine, 
accompanied  by  an  account  of  the  expedition  writ- 
ten by  President  Allen,  of  Bowdoin.  The  volume 
was  thus  a  very  valuable  contribution,  not  only  to 
local  but  to  American  history,  and  was  well  received. 

The  second  volume  of  the  Collections  appeared 
in  1847;  the  third,  in  1853;  the  fourth,  in  1856; 
the  fifth,  in  1857;  the  sixth,  in  1859;  the  Popham 

11  161 


Memorial  Volume,  in  1863;  the  seventh  volume  of 
the  Collections,  in  1876;  and  the  eighth,  in  1881. 
I  give  these  volumes  in  chronological  sequence  to 
indicate  the  periods  in  which  there  seemed  to  be 
the  most  interest  in  publication,  which  was  in  the 
fifties ;  while,  as  we  might  expect,  there  was  a 
decided  falling  off  in  the  time  of  the  Civil  War 
and  the  years  subsequent  to  it. 

I  confess  that  I  have  not  read  these  volumes  from 
cover  to  cover;  but  even  a  cursory  survey  of  them 
shows  how  rich  they  are  in  historical  material  and 
how  devoted  to  real  scholarly  research  were  some 
of  our  predecessors.  In  the  Collections  appear 
some  of  the  addresses  delivered  from  time  to  time 
by  the  president  of  the  society.  One  by  William 
Willis,  given  at  Augusta,  February  21,  1855,  gives 
an  interesting  account  of  the  origins  and  early  his- 
tory of  the  society,  from  which  I  have  drawn  much 
for  this  paper.  The  conclusion,  in  the  somewhat 
stately  style  of  the  period,  will  bear  quoting  to-day : 
"Maine  is  moving  forward  with  rapid  strides  to  a 
distinguished  station  among  the  orbs  of  our  polit- 
ical constellation.  Her  extent  of  territory,  her  rich 
soil,  her  long  line  of  seacoast,  her  large  and  numer- 
ous rivers,  intersecting  her  whole  territory;  her 
various  valuable  and  permanent  resources,  and  last 
and  best,  the  indomitable  energy,  enterprise  and 
ingenuity  of  her  children — all  give  token  of  sure 
and  steady  progress  to  eminence  and  wealth — not 

162 


to  the  wealth,  I  trust,  which  leads  to  decay,  else 
would  I  none  of  it.  Let  her  be  true  to  her  high 
destiny ;  let  her  lay  broadly  and  deeply  the  founda- 
tions of  her  empire,  in  general  education  and  a 
faithful  administration  of  civil  functions,  and  a  firm 
adherence,  in  all  classes,  to  probity,  temperance  and 
good  faith,  and  her  prosperity  will  be  as  solid  and 
enduring  as  it  will  be  rapid  and  sure." 

Another  address  of  unusual  interest,  likewise 
from  the  pen  of  William  Willis,  was  given  at  a 
meeting  of  the  society  in  Augusta,  March  5,  1857. 
This  contained  biographical  notices  of  the  six  first 
presidents  of  the  society:  Governor  Parris,  1822; 
President  Allen,  1823-1828;  the  Rev.  Ichabod 
Nichols,  1828-1834;  Stephen  Longfellow,  the  father 
of  the  poet,  1834;  Chief  Justice  Prentiss  Mellen, 
1835-1840;  and  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner,  1840- 
1856.  These  sketches  abound  in  lively  anecdote 
and  skillful  delineation  of  character  and  are  in 
themselves  no  mean  contribution  to  the  history  of 
our  state,  for  after  all  it  is  men  that  make  a  com- 
monwealth, and  an  account  of  these  broad-minded 
and  sturdy  progenitors  of  this  society  has  all  the 
freshness  that  vivid  personality  ever  brings  forth. 

In  1833  appeared  the  famous  history  of  the  state 
of  Maine,  from  its  first  discovery  to  the  separation 
in  1820,  by  William  D.  Williamson.  He  was  an 
original  member  of  the  society  and  a  most  indefati- 
gable historian.  Undoubtedly  his  labors  were  in- 

163 


spired  in  no  small  degree  by  the  earlier  publications 
of  the  society;  they,  in  turn,  awakened  an  intense 
interest  in  local  history.  From  1833  to  1858  no 
less  than  fifteen  valuable  historical  works  were 
published,  nearly  all  of  them  by  members  of  the 
Historical  Society.  There  was  then  far  more  inter- 
est in  local  history  than  there  is  to-day;  indeed,  it 
is  a  great  pity  that  the  local  historian,  the  man  who 
knows  all  about  the  traditions  and  events  and  prog- 
ress of  his  home  town,  is  in  Maine  almost  as  extinct 
as  the  dodo.  Our  society,  in  this  its  centennial 
year,  could  do  no  more  worthy  service  than  to  help 
to  revive  interest  in  local  history,  and  in  particular 
the  writing  of  the  history  of  the  last  half  century. 
To  be  sure,  we  have  a  valuable  work  in  Dr.  Louis 
Hatch's  "History  of  Maine" ;  but  nearly  every  one  of 
our  town  histories  needs  a  supplement  or  extension. 
And  few  seem  to  care  that  so  much  that  has  hap- 
pened in  Maine  since  1850  has  not  been  recorded 
and  never  will  be  unless  more  men  like  the  early 
members  of  this  society  arise  to  tell  of  the  past. 

In  1849  the  society  received  from  the  state  the 
grant  of  half  a  township,  which,  sold  for  $6,000, 
constituted  a  permanent  fund,  the  income  of  which 
in  those  beneficent  days  was  enough  to  bring  out 
a  volume  of  Proceedings  and  Collections  from  time 
to  time.  From  1856  to  1865  William  Willis  was 
the  president  of  the  society,  and  during  his  regime, 
as  I  have  shown,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  historical 

164 


productivity.  In  1863,  at  the  request  of  the  society, 
the  state  appropriated  $400  to  procure  copies  of 
documents  in  the  British  Museum  relating  to  the 
early  history  of  Maine. 

In  Volume  VI  of  the  Collections,  published  at 
Portland  in  1859,  there  is  an  extended  account  of 
the  proceedings  of  the  society  for  that  year.  Per- 
haps a  brief  summary  will  convey  something  of  the 
character  of  the  meetings  sixty  years  ago.  The 
first  meeting  for  the  year  1859  was  held  at  Augusta, 
January  igth.  Several  papers  on  historical  themes 
were  contributed  by  Joseph  Williamson,  Esq.,  of 
Belfast.  In  the  afternoon,  we  read,  a  public  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  courthouse,  at  which  a  paper 
was  read  by  Judge  Pierce,  of  Gardiner,  on  the  life 
of  Major  Archelaus  Lewis,  a  Revolutionary  hero. 
The  president  of  the  society,  William  Willis,  pro- 
duced some  original  letters  of  Lafayette,  Talley- 
rand, Thomas  Paine  and  other  worthies,  and  then 
read  some  biographical  sketches  of  deceased  mem- 
bers. The  Rev.  Mr.  Ballard,  of  Brunswick,  read  a 
valuable  paper  on  the  Abnaki  Indians,  and  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Sheldon,  of  Bath,  read  an  article  on  St.  George's. 
In  the  evening  President  Woods,  of  Bowdoin,  pro- 
nounced a  eulogy  on  the  late  lamented  Parker 
Cleaveland;  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ballard  read  another 
paper  on  the  Abnaki  Indians;  the  president  of  the 
society  closed  the  meeting  by  reading  a  review  of  a 
volume  published  by  the  Hon.  George  Folsom,  of 

165 


New  York,  on  documents  relating  to  Maine  found 
in  the  English  state  offices.  No  wonder  that  the 
secretary  recorded  that  the  meeting  was  not  only 
very  interesting  but  protracted. 

Nothing  daunted,  the  society  met  again  in  Port- 
land, June  2Qth.  The  president  delivered  eulogies 
on  deceased  members.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Ballard,  of 
Brunswick,  followed  with  an  account  of  the  history 
of  the  Episcopal  Church  in  Maine ;  Mr.  Robert 
Hallowell  Gardiner  read  a  paper  on  Benjamin 
Vaughan;  the  Rev.  David  Cushman,  of  Bath,  again 
turned  up  to  discuss  the  disputed  locality  of  Captain 
George  Waymouth's  voyage ;  Mr.  John  L.  Locke, 
of  Camden,  gave  an  account  of  General  Waldo's 
proclamation  in  Germany ;  Professor  Packard  read 
an  interesting  letter  from  Albert  Gallatin ;  the  pres- 
ident read  a  paper  on  the  conflicting  claims  of  the 
French  and  English  in  Acadia ;  Professor  Packard, 
with  the  assistance  of  John  Marshall  Brown,  then 
an  undergraduate  in  Bowdoin  College,  exhibited 
specimens  and  explained  and  read  a  paper  by  Pro- 
fessor Chadbourne  about  the  celebrated  deposit  of 
oyster  shells  at  Damariscotta.  The  Hon.  Phineas 
Barnes  presented  a  proposal  for  a  union  with  the 
Portland  Natural  History  Society,  a  proposition 
which  led  to  an  animated  discussion.  What  a  relief 
to  read:  "The  afternoon  meeting  was  adjourned  to 
the  evening,  and  a  social  levee  of  the  members  was 
held  at  the  mansion  of  the  president." 

166 


In  the  evening,  John  A.  Poor,  Esq.,  read  a  paper 
on  "English  Colonization  in  America,"  in  which  he 
claimed  for  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  the  honor  of 
English  colonization  on  this  continent  and  disputed 
the  claims  of  the  Massachusetts  historians  in  behalf 
of  the  Pilgrims  and  Puritans.  Ruf us  K.  Sewall,  Esq., 
then  read  an  interesting  paper  on  the  historical 
remains  at  Sheepscot  and  Sagadahoc.  The  Rev. 
Mr.  Ballard  again  spoke  of  the  Abnaki  Indians. 
We  are  not  surprised  to  read  in  the  official  minutes : 
"The  society  adjourned  late  in  the  evening." 

But  1859  is  not  finished.  On  August  4th  the 
annual  meeting  was  held  at  Brunswick.  Of  course 
the  committee  on  the  revision  of  by-laws  reported, 
and  naturally,  after  long  discussion  and  amendments 
(i.  e.,  long  amendments),  they  were  adopted.  At 
eleven  o'clock,  the  society  proceeded  to  the  church 
and  listened  to  a  profound  and  interesting  discourse 
on  the  methods  and  laws  of  history  from  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hedge,  of  Brookline,  Mass.  This  learned  produc. 
tion,  we  read,  was  a  fitting  and  beautiful  close  of 
the  annual  transactions  of  the  society,  and  we  agree 
with  the  scribe  that  the  space  of  the  society  was,  in 
1859,  filled  by  deeds,  not  lingering  years.  In  the 
sweet  language  of  Ovid, 

"Actis  aevum  implet,  non  segnibus  annis." 

There  was  surely  nothing  slow  about  that  year. 

It  is  perhaps  no  surprise  to  the  modern  reader  to 
turn  to  the  next  volume,  printed  in  1876,  and  to  read  : 

167 


"The  long  interval  since  the  last  issue  of  our  Col- 
lections has  been  occasioned  by  various  circum- 
stances." The  Civil  War  was  undoubtedly  one 
reason ;  the  deaths  of  several  who  were  vitally  inter- 
ested in  the  society  left  vacancies  which  the  younger 
generation  did  not  quickly  fill.  Nevertheless,  dur- 
ing all  these  years  from  1859  to  1876,  besides  the 
regular  annual  meetings  each  year  save  one,  special 
meetings  were  held  at  Augusta,  Bath  and  Portland. 
Furthermore,  the  society  went  afield  and  met  from 
time  to  time  at  Damariscotta,  Pemaquid,  York  and 
Monhegan.  Ours  is  a  virtuous  society,  but  it  has 
had  its  cakes  and  ale.  During  these  years  there  is 
also  some  activity  to  record.  In  1859  the  office  of 
vice-president  was  instituted,  and  Bishop  Burgess 
elected,  continuing  therein  until  his  death,  in  1866. 
In  1867  the  state  contracted  with  the  society  for  an 
annual  volume  in  a  series  of  volumes  containing  the 
earliest  documents,  charters  and  other  state  papers 
from  the  archives  of  foreign  countries  illustrating 
the  history  of  Maine.  Dr.  Leonard  Woods,  who,  in 
1866,  had  resigned  the  presidency  of  Bowdoin  Col- 
lege after  a  brilliant  administration,  was  put  in 
charge  of  the  work  in  Europe,  and  engaged  in  his- 
orical  researches  until,  in  January,  1874,  his  fine 
library  was  destroyed  by  fire,  where  a  large  part  of 
his  books  and  papers  perished.  Happily  the  famous 
Hakluyt  manuscript  was  elsewhere.  The  Collec- 
tions published  in  1859,  1876  and  1881  contain 

168 


many  interesting  eulogies.  It  is  undoubtedly  the 
fashion  nowadays  to  minimize  the  importance  of 
the  eulogy,  although  the  two  biographical  addresses 
lately  given  by  the  president  of  this  society  have 
been  very  well  received.  Biography  is,  after  all,  one 
of  the  most  attractive  of  the  handmaidens  that 
attend  history,  and  to-day,  as  with  our  grandfathers, 
"The  proper  study  of  mankind  is  man."  Such 
eulogies  as  those  by  President  Woods  on  Parker 
Cleaveland ;  by  Charles  Carroll  Everett  on  President 
Woods;  and  by  Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner  on 
Benjamin  Vaughan,  are  works  of  permanent  worth, 
and  in  themselves  justify  all  the  literary  activity  of 
our  society. 

The  other  day  I  spent  a  few  hours  in  going  over 
the  records  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  from 
1822  to  1880.  It  was  not  at  all  a  wearisome  task; 
for  on  nearly  every  page  there  appeared  the  name 
of  someone  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  state  or  col- 
lege. The  annual  meetings  have  been  held  for  the 
most  part  in  Brunswick.  The  first  was  on  August 
20,  1822,  and  who  knows  but  that  the  last  may  be 
on  June  20,  1922?  Apparently  there  was  no  meet- 
ing in  1826;  and  there  are  no  records  of  meetings 
from  1841  to  1846.  From  1830  to  1836  the  annual 
meetings  were  held  in  Portland.  Sometimes  we  are 
discouraged  at  light  attendance  and  slight  interest. 
It  is  salutary  to  reflect  that  some  years  the  society 
could  not  get  enough  members  to  meet  at  all,  and 

169 


that  in  1824  the  society  voted  that  the  collection  of 
the  annual  tax  be  suspended  until  further  notice. 
In  1836  the  secretary,  the  Rev.  Asa  Cummings, 
writes :  "The  hour  of  meeting  having  arrived  the 
secretary  stood  alone  and  continued  standing  till 
he  despaired  of  being  met  by  any  other  member  of 
the  society,  when  he  adjourned  the  meeting."  The 
death  of  Chief  Justice  Prentiss  Mellen  was  evidently 
a  great  blow  to  the  society.  He  was  president 
from  1834  until  his  death,  December  31,  1840;  no 
meeting  was  held  until  September  2,  1846,  when 
Robert  Hallowell  Gardiner  became  president.  He 
served  until  1856;  then  came  William  Willis,  1856- 
1864;  Edward  E.  Bourne,  1864-1873;  and  James 
W.  Bradbury,  1874-1889. 

One  of  the  features  of  the  society  from  1855  to 
1871  was  a  midwinter  meeting,  held  annually  with 
the  exception  of  1866,  in  Augusta  in  January  or 
February.  These  meetings  seem  to  have  been  well 
attended  and  certainly  did  much  to  popularize  (if  I 
may  use  that  horrid  word)  the  cause  of  the  society 
throughout  the  state.  In  1873  and  1874  such  a 
meeting  was  held  at  Bath,  and  in  1877  there  was 
an  elegant  field  day  at  Wiscasset.  In  the  period 
under  review,  1822-1880,  only  nineteen  meetings 
were  held  in  Portland,  while  sixteen  were  convened 
in  Augusta  and  fifty-three  in  Brunswick.  That 
those  were  hardy  days  is  shown  by  the  hour  of  the 
annual  meeting  at  the  college  town,  8.00  A.  M,! 

170 


During  the  early  years  the  collections  of  books, 
curiosities  and  objects  of  historical  interest  were 
necessarily  small.  But  by  1847  it  was  necessary  to 
provide  suitable  quarters,  and  a  committee  was 
appointed  for  that  purpose.  Early  in  the  fifties  the 
college  assigned  a  room  in  back  of  the  chapel  for  the 
use  of  the  society.  In  1860,  we  read  that  this  room 
was  fitted  up  with  glass  cases  and  that  the  books 
had  been  transferred  thither  from  the  college  library. 
For  some  years  these  quarters  seemed,  if  not  com- 
modious, at  least  adequate.  But  in  1876  Mr.  John 
Marshall  Brown,  of  Portland,  offered  a  resolution  to 
remove  the  collections  to  Portland.  The  motion 
had  the  usual  fate  of  too  eager  reform  and  was  laid 
on  the  table,  expense  being  the  chief  objection 
raised.  But  the  question  would  not  down ;  and 
after  four  years  of  agitation  a  special  meeting  was 
held  at  Brunswick,  November  23,  1880,  to  consider 
a  very  definite  proposition  to  accept  an  offer  from 
the  city  government  of  Portland  to  occupy  a  room 
in  the  City  Building.  There  was  an  interesting 
debate.  Some  opposed  removal  to  Portland  on  the 
ground  that  it  would  localize  interest  in  the  society ; 
others  argued  that  the  incorporators,  after  delibera- 
tion, fixed  on  Brunswick,  with  its  college,  as  the  most 
suitable  place  for  it ;  "as  the  literary  gentlemen  of 
the  state  were  accustomed  to  repair  thither  at  its 
annual  commencement."  The  resolve  to  remove 


171 


carried  by  a  vote  of  16  yea  and  9  nay;  and  the 
committee  of  removal  consisted  of  Mr.  James 
Phinney  Baxter  (who  had,  with  our  revered  presi- 
dent, Dr.  Burrage,  become  a  member  of  the  society 
in  1878),  General  John  Marshall  Brown  and  Mr. 
Lewis  Pierce.  With  the  appointment  of  that  com- 
mittee this  paper  properly  ends. 

I  cannot,  however,  forbear  taxing  your  patience 
for  a  brief  space  more  to  point  out  how  many  things 
of  interest  are  revealed  as  one  looks  over  the  years 
from  1822  to  1880.  An  historical  society  is  not  in 
itself  a  very  exciting  body.  But  unquestionably 
ours  has  rendered  some  service  to  the  state.  The 
two  things  that  have  impressed  me  most  in  review- 
ing our  history  have  been  the  quality  of  the  men 
who  have  been  connected  with  its  destinies,  and 
the  real  amount  of  good,  sound,  scholarly  work  pro- 
duced by  men  who  were  not  primarily  scholars,  but 
whose  earlier  training  and  devotion  to  truth  gave 
them  sound,  scholarly  instincts.  It  is  true  that  we 
have  not  the  leisure  of  our  fathers  and  grandfathers. 
Life  grows  daily  more  complex.  But  we  can  at 
least  envy  them  if  we  cannot  emulate  their  excellent 
example.  And  as  we  review  the  struggles  of  those 
early  years  and  the  volumes  produced  under  many 
difficulties  it  is  not  altogether  reassuring  to  remem- 
ber that  we  have  published  no  volume  of  proceed- 
ings or  of  documentary  collections  since  1916. 


172 


There  is  excellent  reading,  even  for  the  amateur, 
in  many  of  those  early  books;  let  us  hope  that 
our  generation  may  leave  to  posterity  work  as 
creditable. 


173 


THE  MAINE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 
AT  PORTLAND. 

BY  HON.  AUGUSTUS  F.  MOULTON. 


The  Maine  Historical  Society,  from  the  time  of 
the  granting  of  its  charter  in  1822,  had  close  con- 
nection with  Bowdoin  College.  Its  official  location 
and  its  collections  and  library  were,  during  all  of  its 
earlier  years,  at  Brunswick.  The  annual  meetings 
of  the  society  were  almost  an  integral  part  of  the 
college  commencements.  It  does  not  appear  that 
any  effort  was  made  to  effect  a  change  until  after 
1870.  About  that  time  it  began  to  be  suggested 
that  connection  so  close  with  one  college  was  likely 
to  arouse  jealousy  upon  the  part  of  the  other  col- 
leges in  the  state,  whose  co-operation  was  earnestly 
desired,  and  also  that  an  association  whose  pur- 
poses were  expressly  applicable  to  the  whole  state 
ought  to  have  an  independent  home  of  its  own. 
Some  of  the  most  active  of  its  members  were  resi- 
dents of  Portland  and  vicinity,  and  it  was  argued 
that  a  location  in  that  city  would  be  more  conven- 
ient for  the  people  of  western  Maine,  and  that  even 
for  the  members  living  in  the  eastern  part  of  the 

175 


state  it  would  be  almost,  if  not  quite,  as  easy  of 
access  as  the  old  meeting  place  at  Brunswick. 

The  first  record  of  a  movement  to  bring  about  a 
change  appears  when,  at  the  annual  meeting  held 
July  14,  1876,  General  John  Marshall  Brown,  one 
of  the  most  earnest  and  active  of  its  members,  pre- 
sented a  resolution  having  reference  to  the  removal 
of  the  society  from  Brunswick  to  Portland.  The 
proposal  met  with  little  favor,  and  the  motion  was 
laid  on  the  table.  The  principal  objection  made 
was  that,  because  of  the  society  funds  being  very 
limited,  the  cost  of  removal  to  Portland  and  of 
obtaining  and  maintaining  quarters  in  that  place 
would  be  prohibitive.  The  work  done  by  the  soci- 
ety, notwithstanding  its  lack  of  means,  as  shown  by 
its  records  and  its  publications,  had  been  extraor- 
dinary in  importance  and  shows  the  remarkable 
self-sacrificing  efforts  of  its  associates. 

Some  Portland  members  continued  to  display 
great  interest  in  the  matter.  At  the  annual  meet- 
ing of  July  12,  1878,  the  membership  was  increased 
by  the  addition  of  prominent  Portland  men.  A 
special  meeting  was  called  and  held  November  23, 
1880,  to  consider  the  matter  of  removal,  and  a  let- 
ter from  Mayor  William  Senter  was  then  presented, 
stating  that  he  was  authorized  by  the  municipal 
officers  of  the  city  of  Portland  to  offer,  in  behalf  of 
the  city,  to  the  Historical  Society,  for  their  library, 
their  collections  and  for  their  meetings,  the  free  use 

176 


of  the  hall  and  anteroom  in  the  city  building  lately 
vacated  by  the  Portland  Natural  History  Society. 
After  a  full  discussion  it  was  decided  by  a  vote  of 
sixteen  in  the  affirmative  and  nine  in  the  negative 
to  make  the  change.  It  will  be  noted  that  this  vote 
related  only  to  the  Historical  Society  in  general 
terms,  without  reference  to  the  holding  of  its  annual 
meetings  as  specified  in  the  charter.  That  was  not 
necessary,  since  by  amendment  of  the  charter  in 
1828  the  society  was  authorized  to  hold  the  annual 
and  other  meetings  at  such  time  and  place  as  they 
might  deem  proper. 

James  P.  Baxter  was  made  chairman  of  a  com- 
mittee appointed  to  take  charge  of  and  supervise 
the  business  incidental  to  the  change.  The  matter 
was  attended  to  so  promptly  and  efficiently  that 
February  2,  1881,  the  rooms  in  the  City  Building 
were  in  order,  and  on  that  date  a  special  meeting  of 
the  society  was  held  in  the  new  quarters.  A  lease 
of  the  premises  was  tendered  and  accepted,  and  a 
vote  of  thanks  and  recognition  of  the  generosity  of 
the  city  was  passed.  The  removal  of  the  tangible 
effects  was  made  complete,  and  since  that  time 
Portland  has  been  the  general  place  of  occupation 
and  business  for  everything,  except  that  the  annual 
meetings  have,  for  the  most  part,  been  held  at 
Brunswick. 

A  public  dinner  was  given  at  the  Falmouth 
Hotel  June  10,  1887,  in  honor  of  the  eighty-fifth 
12  177 


birthday  of  Hon.  James  W.  Bradbury,  for  a  long 
time  the  efficient  and  devoted  president  of  the 
society.  On  that  occasion  it  was  announced  by 
Prof.  Henry  L.  Chapman  that  Hon.  James  P.  Bax- 
ter was  about  to  make  the  city  of  Portland  a  gift  of 
a  public  library  building,  and  that  the  plans  would 
provide  very  ample  accommodations  for  the  Maine 
Historical  Society.  At  the  annual  meeting  held 
June  21,  1887,  it  was  voted  that  the  society  accept 
Mr.  Baxter's  gift  of  rooms  in  the  library  building 
with  grateful  thanks.  The  building  was  in  due 
course  completed,  and  on  February  22,  1889,  the 
first  meeting,  a  special  one  largely  attended,  was 
held  there  in  what  is  now  the  reference  room  of  the 
library. 

The  society  continued  to  occupy  the  conspicuous 
historical  rooms  in  the  public  library  building  for 
three  years.  The  municipal  library  and  its  patron- 
age increased  rapidly  and  the  need  of  more  space 
grew  pressing.  The  city,  in  1892,  made  a  proposi- 
tion to  the  society  to  exchange  the  possession  of  the 
historical  rooms  upon  the  first  floor  of  the  building 
for  the  larger  hall  and  anteroom  upon  the  second 
floor.  The  terms  offered  were  attractive,  and  the 
society  voted  to  accept  the  new  quarters  and  sur- 
render the  old,  in  accordance  with  the  proposi- 
tion submitted.  The  removal  was  made  under  the 
supervision  of  Philip  H.  Brown,  and  for  a  consider- 
able period  this  abiding  place,  named  Baxter  Hall, 

178 


with  lecture  room  and  library,  was  continued  in 
occupation. 

At  a  meeting  held  January  25,  1901,  Lewis 
Pierce,  Esq.,  was  present  and  made  announcement 
that  Anne  Longfellow  Pierce,  a  sister  of  Longfellow 
the  poet,  was  desirous  to  befriend  the  Historical 
Society  by  making  a  gift  to  it  of  the  old  Wadsworth- 
Longfellow  homestead  on  Congress  Street,  to  be 
owned  and  occupied  after  her  decease  as  its  regular 
and  permanent  establishment.  The  place  offered 
was  itself  very  valuable.  The  location  was  con- 
venient and  it  was  in  every  way  desirable.  The 
gift  was  accepted  with  much  appreciation,  and  by 
deed  of  conveyance,  dated  April  27,  1895,  Mrs. 
Pierce  transferred  the  property  in  fee  to  the  society, 
with  the  reservation  that  the  donor  should  retain 
for  herself  the  use  and  occupation  of  the  homestead 
during  her  lifetime,  and  that  it  should  thereafter  be 
held  and  maintained  for  the  use  of  the  society  and 
as  a  memorial  building.  Baxter  Hall  continued  to 
be  the  headquarters  of  the  association  until  after 
the  decease  of  Mrs.  Pierce,  which  occurred  in  1901. 

The  Baxter  deed  of  gift  to  the  city  as  trustee  con- 
tained the  provision  that  the  Historical  Society 
should  have  the  free  use  of  the  quarters  furnished 
in  the  public  library  building  so  long  as  it  should 
choose  to  occupy  them,  but  if  it  should  become  pos- 
sessed of  and  occupy  other  premises  the  society 
interest  would  thereby  terminate  and  the  entire 

179 


building  revert  to  the  city  for  library  purposes.  The 
change  of  location,  therefore,  and  the  acceptance  of 
the  very  attractive  proposition  of  Mrs.  Pierce  occa- 
sioned the  complete  sacrifice  of  the  previous  bene- 
faction of  Mr.  Baxter  and  compelled  the  assumption 
of  new  and  important  responsibilities  connected 
with  the  care  and  ownership  of  an  independent  sit- 
uation of  its  own.  For  these  reasons  it  is  not  sur- 
prising that  the  donation,  while  it  was  accepted 
with  hearty  appreciation,  gave  rise  to  misgivings 
upon  the  part  of  some  as  to  the  ability  of  the  society 
to  carry  on  successfully  in  its  amplified  field  of 
endeavor. 

The  decision  having  been  made  and  the  time  for 
action  having  arrived,  the  practical  part  of  the  busi- 
ness became  a  matter  for  serious  consideration. 
The  Anne  Longfellow  Pierce  homestead  and  lot,  so 
generously  bestowed,  consisted  of  land  with  frontage 
of  66-J  feet  on  Congress  Street  and  255  feet  in  depth, 
containing  16,093  square  feet.  The  assessed  value 
of  the  property  in  1901  was  $23,700.00,  but  its 
actual  worth  was  considerably  more.  The  Long- 
fellow family  restored  the  interior  of  the  mansion  at 
their  own  expense  and  under  their  own  supervision, 
and  furnished  funds  for  renovation  and  repair  of  the 
exterior.  The  house  has  proved  to  be  a  veritable 
Mecca  to  those  who  love  the  memory  of  Longfellow 
and  appreciate  his  writings.  Thousands  of  people 
from  all  parts  of  the  world  have  visited  and  enjoyed 

180 


the  home  of  the  poet's  youth,  with  its  quaint  old- 
time  furnishings  and  attractive  associations. 

The  erection  of  the  library  building  in  which  we 
have  met  to-day  was  no  small  undertaking.  A  large 
committee  was  appointed  and  subscription  papers 
were  circulated,  both  in  this  vicinity  and  abroad. 
The  response  was  generous.  Substantial  contribu- 
tions were  made  in  Maine  and  from  distant  places. 
Ladies  gave  entertainments,  enthusiasm  of  practical 
character  was  manifested,  and  the  effort  to  raise 
funds  met  with  large  success. 

The  financial  part  of  the  undertaking  having 
reached  a  point  where  it  was  deemed  safe  to  pro- 
ceed, the  work  itself  was  undertaken.  Alexander 
W.  Longfellow,  a  nephew  of  the  poet,  was  selected 
as  supervising  architect,  with  Francis  H.  Fassett  as 
assistant,  and  together  they  made  the  plans  for  the 
handsome  building,  so  finely  proportioned  and  spe- 
cially adapted  for  the  purposes  of  the  society,  as  we 
now  behold  it.  The  structure  is  two  stories  in 
height,  with  commodious  basement.  The  whole 
construction  is  of  most  approved  fireproof  quality, 
with  bookcases  of  metal.  There  are  three  series  of 
bookstacks,  one  rising  above  the  other,  and  having 
capacity  for  holding  30,000  volumes.  The  large 
room  on  the  first  floor  gives  space  for  the  display  of 
articles  of  historic  interest,  as  well  as  ample  room 
and  accommodations  for  visitors.  Directly  off  the 
library  room  is  a  spacious  and  most  secure  vault  for 

181 


holding  objects  of  special  value.  The  main  hall  and 
ante  room  on  the  second  floor  are  conveniently 
adapted  for  general  meetings. 

The  total  cost  of  the  building,  as  appears  by  the 
record,  was  $38,201.18,  this  being  exclusive  of  ex- 
penditures upon  the  mansion.  Of  this  amount 
$16,682.42  was  raised  by  subscriptions,  $6,518.76 
from  income  of  the  house  and  $15,000.00  by  a  cash 
loan  secured  upon  the  premises,  the  larger  part  of 
which,  it  must  be  said  with  regret,  still  remains 
unpaid.  The  Wadsworth- Longfellow  mansion  itself, 
it  will  be  noted,  is  not  only  of  great  antiquarian 
value,  being  the  first  house  built  wholly  of  brick  in 
Portland,  but  has  been  from  the  first,  and  still  is,  a 
substantial  source  of  revenue.  With  much  of  anx- 
ious effort  the  new  fireproof  library  building  was  at 
length  completed,  the  Longfellow  residence  reno- 
vated and  restored  without  and  within,  and  the 
library  and  other  properties  arranged  in  the  new 
places.  For  this  work  special  credit  should  be  given 
to  Fritz  H.  Jordan,  Henry  Deering  and  Rev.  John 
Carroll  Perkins.  The  labor  of  loyalty  and  love 
having  been  accomplished,  the  library  and  home- 
stead were,  on  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
birth  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow,  February 
27,  1907,  formally  dedicated,  with  appropriate  cere- 
monies, as  the  permanent,  commodious  and  attract- 
ive home  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 

The  physical   location  consequent  upon  the  re- 

182 


moval  to  Portland  was  a  matter  of  great  importance, 
but  the  real  work,  the  work  for  which  the  society 
was  organized,  was  of  larger  import  and  had  not 
been  neglected.  Soon  after  the  change  of  location, 
the  membership,  which  had  been  limited  to  one 
hundred,  was  increased  to  two  hundred,  and  this 
limitation  was  subsequently  further  increased  to  four 
hundred.  Upon  the  decease  of  Hon.  James  W. 
Bradbury,  James  P.  Baxter,  June  25,  1889,  became 
president  and  occupied  that  office  continuously  for 
twenty-two  years,  until  his  late  and  lamented  decease. 
The  growth  of  the  society  Collections  and  publi- 
cations since  the  time  of  the  removal  in  1880  has 
been  creditable.  At  that  time  the  publications 
consisted  of  eight  printed  volumes  of  Collections 
meaning  literary  contributions  and  records,  to  which 
should  be  added  the  memorial  volume  of  the  Pop- 
ham  celebration  of  1863,  not  included  in  its  Collec- 
tions. The  society  library,  when  transferred  to 
Portland,  contained  by  estimate  11,000  bound  vol- 
umes and  a  very  numerous  assortment  of  pamphlets, 
documents  and  other  accumulated  historical  data 
not  in  book  form.  It  had  also  a  large  number  of 
curios  and  relics.  Since  the  removal,  fourteen  vol- 
umes of  Collections  have  been  printed.  Besides 
these,  the  society  has  been  sponsor  for  twenty-four 
volumes  of  Documentary  History.  The  last  named 
volumes  consist  of  a  compilation  of  royal  charters 
and  patents  relating  to  Maine  issued  by  the  early 

183 


officials  holding  authority  from  king  and  council, 
French  and  English,  together  with  parliamentary 
acts  and  other  documents,  comprising  nearly  all  of 
the  official  papers  relating  to  the  early  settlements 
and  later  colonial  history  of  Maine.  This  invaluable 
collection  was  arranged  under  the  immediate  super- 
vision of  President  Baxter  and  printed  by  the  state. 
The  present  library  of  the  society  comprises  27,368 
bound  volumes  and  a  very  great  accumulation  of 
pamphlets  and  rare  documents,  of  number  estimated 
to  be  equal  to  the  bound  volumes.  Besides  these 
literary  productions  there  are  arranged  and  displayed 
in  the  library  rooms  an  assortment  of  portraits, 
relics  and  articles  of  colonial  and  historical  associa- 
tion not  surpassed  by  those  of  any  other  similar 
organization. 

The  classification  and  numbering  of  the  printed 
volumes  of  the  society  publications  is  somewhat 
confusing.  The  method  adopted  has  been  that  of 
the  Massachusetts  society,  by  which  books  are  num- 
bered by  series,  each  series  comprising  ten  volumes. 
There  are  series  of  Collections  and  also  series  of 
Documentary  History.  Of  the  Collections  there 
are  ten  of  the  first  series,  ten  of  the  second  series 
and  two  of  the  third  series,  twenty-two  in  all.  The 
Documentary  histories  are  numbered  both  by  series 
and  by  consecutive  numbers.  These,  for  some  rea- 
son unexplained,  begin  with  series  two  and  com- 
prise, as  has  been  said,  twenty-four  volumes.  Some 

184 


of  the  Documentary  volumes  include  copies  of  legal 
documents  and  historical  papers  as  well.  Besides 
these  books  there  are  printed  pamphlets  of  the  soci- 
ety containing  full  accounts  of  the  exercises  and 
papers  relating  to  celebrations  of  particular  events. 
It  is  difficult,  therefore,  to  state  the  precise  number 
of  printed  issues  actually  put  out.  Besides  these 
there  are  manuscripts,  some  bound  and  some  not  in 
binding.  The  society  has  large  collections  of  news- 
papers, such  as  fifty-seven  volumes  (1831  to  1859) 
of  the  Portland  Advertiser,  a  complete  set  (1837 
to  1901)  of  the  Portland  Transcript,  and  others, 
besides  its  great  assortment  of  pamphlets,  local  his- 
tories and  public  and  private  records.  The  expense 
of  printing  the  Documentary  series  has  been,  for 
the  most  part,  contributed  by  the  state,  the  edito- 
rial work  being  done  under  the  supervision  of  the 
society. 

Among  the  notable  publications  are  the  Trelawny 
papers  (Vol.  Ill  of  Documentary  History),  which 
contain  the  correspondence  and  business  papers  of 
Robert  Trelawny,  who  had  an  early  grant  on  the 
Spurwink  River  in  Cape  Elizabeth  and  Richmond 
Island  and  attempted  to  enforce  also  a  claim  to 
Machegonne,  the  peninsula  on  which  Portland  was 
founded  by  George  Cleeve.  These  papers  were 
obtained  from  England  by  John  Wingate  Thornton, 
and  arranged  and  annotated  partly  by  him  and 
partly,  after  his  decease,  by  Mr.  Baxter.  These 

185 


relate  to  the  Trelawny  occupation  within  the  earlier 
concession  of  the  Province  of  Lygonia,  which  prov- 
ince comprised  most  of  western  Maine,  and  was 
established  a  second  time  by  the  English  parlia- 
mentary confiscation  of  the  greater  part  of  Sir 
Ferdinando  Gorges'  Palatinate,  and  came  to  an  end 
with  the  restoration  of  the  English  king.  The 
editorial  notes  and  references  are  even  more  inform- 
ing than  the  text. 

In  the  Documentary  History  series  are  the  Farn- 
ham  Papers  (second  series,  Vols.  VII  and  VIII), 
being  a  collection  of  documents  relating  to  the  ter- 
ritorial history  of  Maine,  a  work  of  immense  original 
research  made  by  Mary  Frances  Farnham,  of  the 
Oregon  Historical  Society  and  the  American  His- 
torical Society.  This  collection  was  presented  by 
Miss  Farnham  and  published  by  the  society,  aided 
by  appropriation  from  the  state.  It  includes  prac- 
tically all  important  public  acts  and  documents 
relating  to  Maine  from  1603  to  1871. 

Two  large  volumes  by  Joseph  Williamson,  1896, 
give  a  bibliography  of  Maine,  the  purpose  of  which 
is  stated  to  be,  "To  give  the  full  title  of  every  book, 
pamphlet  and  reputable  magazine  article  having 
reference  to  Maine  and  also  all  those  of  which  the 
authors  were  resident  within  the  state."  These  were 
printed  under  the  auspices  of  the  society.  Mr. 
Williamson  contributed  also  his  extensive  Scrap 


186 


Book,  in  which  are  rescued  from  oblivion  many  con- 
tributions to  current  periodicals. 

Four  manuscript  volumes  now  in  the  library  con- 
tain the  York  Court  records,  a  transcript  of  an 
official  copy  made  by  the  state  and  kept  in  the  office 
of  the  secretary  of  state  in  Augusta.  These  are  of 
more  than  local  interest,  for  from  the  time  when  the 
province  first  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Massa- 
chusetts until  1760,  Yorkshire  embraced  the  whole 
Province  of  Maine. 

There  are  preserved  in  the  vault  the  William 
Willis  papers  and  manuscripts,  being  the  assembled 
collections  made  by  him  during  a  long  life  devoted 
to  extended  research.  Much  of  this  material  was 
used  by  Willis  in  his  published  works,  and  other 
parts  of  it  will  be  of  assistance  to  some  future 
historian. 

The  Maine  Wills,  consisting  of  an  exact  copy  of 
all  wills  appearing  in  the  York  Court  records  from 
the  earliest  in  1640,  were  compiled  with  particular 
exactness  by  William  M.  Sargent,  Esq.,  under  the 
auspices  of  the  society,  authorized  and  assisted  finan- 
cially under  resolve  of  the  state  in  1887.  These 
include  all  Maine  wills  from  1640  to  1760,  four 
hundred  and  seventy-one  in  number. 

The  eighteen  volumes  of  York  Deeds  consist  of 
copies  of  deeds  found  in  the  records  of  York  County 
from  the  earliest  in  1640,  when  the  government  of 
the  Province  of  Maine  was  organized  under  the 

187 


Gorges  charter.  The  first  was  compiled  by  John 
T.  Hull  under  the  oversight  of  Hobart  W.  Richard- 
son, the  text  being  copied  by  William  M.  Sargent, 
Esq.  This  publication  was  made  under  resolve  of 
the  state  in  1883,  authorizing,  with  an  appropriation, 
the  superintendence  of  the  work  by  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society.  The  compilation  of  nearly  all  of  the 
subsequent  volumes,  after  the  decease  of  Mr.  Hull 
and  Mr.  Sargent,  was  done  by  Leonard  B.  Chap- 
man. The  introduction  in  the  first  volume,  by 
Hobart  W.  Richardson,  gives  an  account  of  the 
source  of  land  titles  in  Maine  with  thoroughness 
and  completeness  that  could  hardly  be  surpassed 
and  leaves  little  to  be  desired.  This  series  ends 
with  printed  volume  eighteen,  published  in  1910, 
and  should  be  completed  so  as  to  bring  the  record 
to  1760,  when  the  county  of  York  was  divided  into 
the  three  counties,  York,  Cumberland  and  Lincoln. 

The  Barclay  papers  and  the  Ward  Chipman 
papers,  in  manuscript,  give  particulars  of  the  dispute 
over  the  northeastern  boundary  of  Maine  more 
fully  than  can  be  found  elsewhere. 

The  extensive  and  valuable  library  of  the  Maine 
branch  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States 
has  been  presented  and  forms  a  valuable  part  of 
the  library. 

The  society  has  also  the  Baxter  Manuscripts, 
being  a  bound  set  of  hand-written  copies,  English, 
French  and  American,  obtained  by  Hon.  James  P. 

188 


Baxter.  Nearly  all  of  these  have  been  put  into 
printed  form  by  the  state  and  are  included  in  the 
Documentary  series  referred  to. 

There  is  also  a  life  of  General  Henry  Dearborn 
by  his  son,  Henry  A.  S.  Dearborn,  in  seven  volumes 
of  manuscript.  This  work  is  not  a  biography  alone, 
but  comprises  a  wide  historical  range.  It  is  inter- 
esting, both  for  its  literary  value  and  also  for  the 
rare  and  artistic  character  of  the  writing  and  illu- 
minated pen  work. 

These  references  to  unpublished  compilations 
comprise  a  part  only  of  the  more  important  ones, 
taken  to  some  extent  at  random.  Many  of  the 
published  accounts  of  anniversary  celebrations  and 
dedicatory  exercises,  which  include  the  memorial 
volume  of  Henry  W.  Longfellow's  seventy-fifth 
birthday  (1882),  the  "Tercentenary  of  the  Voyage 
of  Martin  Pring"  (1903),  the  "Tercentenary  of  De 
Monts  Settlement  at  St.  Croix  Island"  (1904),  the 
"Tercentenary  of  Waymouth's  Landing"  (1905), 
the  "Tercentenary  of  the  Beginning  of  the  Popham 
Colony"  (1907)  and  that  of  the  dedication  of  the 
monument  commemorating  the  Maine  soldiers  at 
Valley  Forge  (1907),  are  noteworthy  and  deserve 
extended  notice.  The  Longfellow  case,  presented 
by  Alexander  W.  Longfellow,  and  containing  a 
classified  and  systematically  arranged  mass  of  liter- 
ary material  relating  to  aviation  and  naval  history 
during  the  world  war,  forms,  of  itself,  a  remarkable 

189 


collection   and   should    be    examined    rather   than 
described. 

Among  the  relics  and  exhibits  found  in  the  rooms 
of  the  library  building  the  Fogg  collection  of  auto- 
graphs stands  pre-eminent.  This  collection  was 
made  by  Dr.  John  S.  H.  Fogg  and  bequeathed  by 
him  in  his  will  to  the  society.  Dr.  Fogg  was  a 
graduate  of  Bowdoin  College,  class  of  1846,  and 
also  of  the  Medical  School.  These  comprise  fifty- 
nine  bound  manuscript  volumes  and  represent  years 
of  research  and  effort.  Among  the  autographs  are 
those  of  Ferdinand  and  Isabella,  1492 ;  of  Queen 
Elizabeth,  1591 ;  of  all  the  colonial  governors,  all 
the  signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  of 
the  presidents  of  the  United  States  and  of  others, 
foreign  and  American,  too  numerous  even  for  sug- 
gestion in  brief  reference.  This  collection  was 
appraised  by  an  expert,  in  the  inventory  of  Dr. 
Fogg's  estate,  at  the  selling  value  of  $25,000,  which 
appraisal  was  probably  far  below  the  actual  value. 
It  came  into  the  possession  of  the  society  in  1907, 
and  is  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  very  best,  in  the 
United  States. 

Other  noted  and  invaluable  relics  which  chiefly 
attract  the  attention  of  visitors  are  the  strong  box 
of  Father  Rale,  taken  at  the  capture  of  Norridge- 
wock  in  1724,  and  the  bell  of  his  chapel,  which 
was  later  discovered  in  its  hiding  place  near  by. 
There  may  be  seen  also  the  baptismal  font  used  by 

190 


Rev.  Robert  Jordan,  the  Episcopal  clergyman  very 
prominent  at  the  time  of  the  second  settlement  of 
Portland  and  before;  the  clock  of  Governor  John 
Hancock,  of  Revolutionary  fame ;  the  General 
Henry  Dearborn  relics,  and  especially  the  bust  of 
Henry  W.  Longfellow,  which  is  a  replica  of  that  in 
Westminster  Abbey  and  was  presented  to  the 
society  by  the  London  executive  committee  of  the 
English  Longfellow  Memorial  fund.  These  remark- 
able curios  and  attractions  cannot  be  enumerated 
at  length  and  are  worthy  of  extended  examination. 

The  founders  and  supporters  of  the  society  prior 
to  the  removal  to  Portland  receive  appreciative 
notice  in  the  address  of  President  Sills.  The  wor- 
thy scholars  and  gentlemen  who  then  composed  the 
membership  continued  their  activities  afterward. 
It  is  an  invidious  and  impossible  task  to  attempt  to 
enumerate  or  to  make  to  any  full  extent  special 
mention  of  all  those  who  have  contributed  and  still 
contribute  to  its  welfare  in  the  later  days.  It  seems, 
however,  appropriate  to  name  a  few  of  the  promi- 
nent ones  who  have  served  in  various  ways,  neces- 
sarily omitting  mention  of  others  quite  as  worthy. 

Senator  James  Ware  Bradbury  was  at  all  times  a 
staunch  and  faithful  supporter  and  advocate.  He 
was  a  typical  gentleman  of  the  old  courteous  school. 
A  graduate  of  Bowdoin  in  the  famous  class  of  1825, 
having  for  classmates  Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  Henry 
W.  Longfellow  and  John  S.  C.  Abbot,  and  for  fifty- 

191 


one  years  a  member  of  the  official  boards  of  the  col- 
lege, serving  also  in  the  high  position  of  United  States 
Senator  from  Maine,  he  was  both  a  zealous  promoter 
of  historical  research  and  a  whole-hearted  worker  in 
behalf  of  the  society.  From  1874  to  1890  he  filled 
with  distinguished  ability  the  office  of  president. 
Although  he  did  not  favor  the  removal,  his  loyal 
and  helpful  assistance  in  all  ways  continued,  and  in 
his  will  he  left  to  it  a  substantial  token  of  remem- 
brance. 

Hon.  James  Phinney  Baxter  became  president  in 
1889,  as  successor  to  Mr.  Bradbury,  and  continued 
in  the  presidential  office  until  the  time  of  his  decease, 
in  1921.  Mr.  Baxter  was  a  gentleman  of  ability  and 
dignified  courtesy,  and  presided  at  its  functions  to 
general  acceptance.  Although  a  man  of  extensive 
business  affairs,  he  devoted  much  time  to  historical 
research  and  historical  writing.  He  was  not  only 
president  of  this  society,  but  was  likewise  president 
of  the  New  England  Historic  Genealogical  Society 
from  1899,  and  was  a  member  of  other  historical 
and  literary  associations.  The  public  library  build- 
ing, in  which  our  society  had  its  home  for  some 
years,  was  a  gift  from  Mr.  Baxter  to  the  city  of 
Portland  as  trustee.  In  the  field  of  historical  inves- 
tigation Mr.  Baxter  had  few  equals,  and  his  edito- 
rial and  original  work  appears  in  many  of  our  soci- 
ety publications.  His  most  prominent  work,  per- 
haps, "Ferdinando  Gorges  and  His  Province  of 

192 


Maine,"  in  three  volumes,  a  production  involving 
wide  research  in  America  and  England,  was  pub- 
lished by  the  Prince  Society,  a  distinguished  pri- 
vate association  in  Boston.  His  "George  Cleeve  of 
Casco  Bay,"  a  book  of  equal  merit,  together  with 
"The  Voyage  of  Capt  Christopher  Levett,"  anno- 
tated by  him,  appear  among  the  publications  of  the 
Gorges  Society,  a  private  and  select  organization  in 
Portland.  He  assembled  at  his  own  expense  the 
papers  referred  to  as  the  Baxter  Manuscripts,  which 
make  nineteen  of  the  twenty-four  volumes  of  Docu- 
mentary History  of  Maine,  published  by  the  state 
under  the  auspices  of  this  society.  Mr.  Baxter's 
taste  for  history  was  his  literary  specialty.  His  own 
private  historical  library,  lately  disposed  of  by  auc- 
tion sale,  was  one  of  the  finest  aggregations  in  the 
whole  country.  Mr.  Baxter's  long  occupation  of 
the  highest  office  in  the  society's  gift,  and  his  own 
accomplishments,  long  identified  his  name  with  that 
of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 

Rev.  Henry  Sweetser  Burrage,  D.  D.,  a  graduate 
of  Brown  University,  and  also  state  historian  of 
Maine,  is  now  the  society  president.  He  became 
vice-president  in  1915,  after  the  decease  of  Pro- 
fessor Henry  L.  Chapman  and  two  years  of  incum- 
bency by  Professor  George  T.  Files,  and  has  long 
been  one  of  the  pillars  of  the  organization  and  one 
of  the  chief  contributors  to  its  advancement.  It 
is  no  disparagement  to  anyone  to  say  that  in  exec- 
is  193 


utive  matters  he  has  long  been  the  most  efficient 
member.  Notwithstanding  the  pressing  require- 
ments of  professional  and  editorial  life,  and  the  con- 
stant performance  of  other  literary  work,  he  has 
found  time  to  keep  a  steady  oversight  of  the  soci- 
ety's affairs.  His  papers,  addresses  and  writings,  as 
appears  by  the  records,  have  been  extraordinary  in 
number  and  quality.  His  books  as  state  historian, 
"Beginnings  of  Colonial  Maine"  and  "The  North- 
eastern Boundary  Controversy,"  are  works  of  fine 
character  and  interest,  and  of  lasting  value.  Dr. 
Burrage  unquestionably  ranks  with  the  very  first  of 
those  who  have  established  the  reputation  and  high 
quality  of  this  great  public  utility. 

Rev.  Henry  O.  Thayer,  one  of  the  earlier  mem- 
bers, has  done  notable  work.  He  has  been  the 
author  of  numerous  papers  and  pamphlets  showing 
patient  investigation  and  singular  accuracy.  Among 
some  of  the  more  important  are,  "The  Beginnings 
of  Pemaquid,"  papers  concerning  various  Kennebec 
localities,  "Early  Ministry  on  the  Kennebec,"  "The 
Indian  Administration  of  Justice,"  and  especially  his 
valuable  volume  entitled  "The  Sagadahoc  Colony," 
published  by  the  Gorges  Society  in  1892. 

No  man  in  the  whole  career  of  the  society  did  for 
it  more  disinterested  and  efficient  service  than  Fritz 
H.  Jordan,  for  many  years  its  treasurer  and  chief 
financial  manager.  He  was  a  man  of  capacity, 
sound  judgment  and  lofty  ideals  regarding  public 

194 


matters.  Freely,  and  without  thought  of  compen- 
sation, except  such  as  comes  from  the  sense  of  duty 
well  performed,  he  gave  to  the  society's  affairs  just 
as  careful  attention  as  he  applied  to  his  own  large 
business  operations.  His  tastes  were  artistic  and 
soundly  practical.  In  the  erection  and  equipment 
of  the  new  library  building,  and  in  its  after-develop- 
ment, he  was  principal  adviser  and  overseer.  Per- 
sonally he  was  most  attractive — a  modest  gentle- 
man of  the  highest  type  and  of  character  unexcelled. 
The  society  to-day  is  indebted  to  him  almost  for  its 
existence.  By  his  will  he  bequeathed  to  it  the 
largest  financial  legacy  that  it  has  received,  but 
his  personality  and  inspiring  example  are  his  best 
memorial. 

Hubbard  W.  Bryant  was  for  a  long  time  secretary 
of  the  society  and  an  indefatigable  helper.  He  was 
an  official  of  the  J.  B.  Brown  Banking  Company, 
and  devoted  a  large  part  of  his  time  outside  of  his 
business  engagements  to  work  in  behalf  of  the  soci- 
ety. Although  his  activities  were  not  of  a  showy 
kind,  they  were  unselfishly  bestowed  and  were  bene- 
ficial in  many  ways. 

The  Goolds,  William  Goold  and  Nathan  Goold, 
were  most  valuable  members.  William  Goold,  the 
father,  was  an  authority  in  historical  matters,  as  is 
shown  by  his  book,  "Portland  in  the  Past."  Nathan 
Goold,  the  son,  became  secretary  in  1914  as  suc- 
cessor of  Hubbard  W.  Bryant.  He  made  his  head- 

195 


quarters  at  the  library  and  was  author  of  many 
papers  and  pamphlets.  He  kept  in  touch  with  the 
needs  of  the  library  and  of  the  mansion,  and  the 
oversight  of  the  two  occupied  most  of  his  time. 
Nathan  Goold  was  a  walking  encyclopedia  of  infor- 
mation, and  it  is  unfortunate  that  he  did  not  commit 
more  of  his  historical  and  genealogical  knowledge 
to  writing. 

Among  others,  Henry  Deering,  a  man  of  exqui- 
site taste  and  constant  interest;  Charles  E.  Allen, 
a  man  familiar  with  the  byways  of  antiquarian 
research ;  John  Francis  Sprague,  historian  and  edi- 
tor ;  Leonard  B.  Chapman,  industrious  and  persist- 
ent; George  C.  Owen,  compiler  of  a  reference 
index  that  will  perpetuate  his  name ;  Alexander  W. 
Longfellow,  architect  of  the  library  building  and 
contributor  of  the  Alexander  W.  Longfellow  collec- 
tions, are  deserving  of  more  particular  mention  than 
can  be  given  in  this  brief  sketch. 

Although  the  accomplishments  of  the  society  in 
the  last  thirty-three  years  have  been  important,  it 
has  all  the  time  been  seriously  hampered  by  finan- 
cial limitations.  Such  invested  funds  as  it  has  are 
for  the  most  part  made  applicable  by  conditions 
imposed  by  the  donors  to  certain  special  purposes. 
The  demand  for  interest  payments  upon  the  unpaid 
portion  of  the  funded  debt  has,  of  course,  been 
imperative.  It  is  pleasant  to  mention  that  the  new 
treasurer,  Walter  G.  Davis,  has  initiated  a  campaign 

196 


for  contributions  which  bids  fair  to  wipe  out  com- 
pletely this  long  standing  incubus  of  mortgage. 
The  principal  monetary  gifts  received  have  been 
those  from  the  trustees  of  the  Joseph  Walker  estate, 
the  Thomas  B.  Reed  monument  committee,  and  the 
recent  bequest  from  Fritz  H.  Jordan. 

The  dearth  of  working  income  has  made  neces- 
sary the  omission  for  quite  a  long  time  of  publica- 
tions in  its  series  of  historical  papers.  The  last 
volume  of  published  collections  is  Volume  II  of 
Series  III,  put  out  in  1906.  Meetings  have  been 
held  and  the  reading  of  papers  kept  up,  due  very 
much  to  the  persistent  energy  of  Dr.  Burrage.  No 
period  has  produced  papers  of  greater  interest. 
Copies  for  publication  have  been  regularly  requested, 
and  considerable  matter  of  consequence  is  now  on 
hand  available  for  printing.  Considerable  also,  it 
must  be  said  with  regret,  has  not  been  so  left, 
because  the  authors  were  aware  that  such  material 
could  only  be  kept  on  the  file  for  indefinite  custody. 
There  are  few  places  where  an  endowment  would 
be  productive  of  more  lasting  good  than  here. 

The  society  furnishes  and  keeps  constantly  open 
a  free  public  library,  which  is  consulted  daily  by 
students  and  interested  parties  from  far  and  near. 
Besides  its  books  upon  historical  topics,  it  has  many 
useful  reference  works,  and  also  a  large  and  fine 
genealogical  collection,  giving  the  descent  of  many 
families.  It  has  also  a  rare  assortment  of  town  and 

197 


local  histories  and  scrap-book  collections  relating 
to  current  events,  such  as  can  be  found  nowhere 
else.  Young  people  from  the  public  schools,  among 
others,  make  constant  use  of  the  library  books  and 
material.  The  Wadsworth-Longfellow  mansion  is 
more  than  self-sustaining,  due  very  much  to  kindly 
volunteer  assistance,  and  the  surplus  there  obtained 
goes  to  help  out  the  other  slender  income.  Men- 
tion is  particularly  due  to  the  efficient  and  courte- 
ous attendants,  Miss  Evelyn  L.  Gilmore  and  Miss 
Ethel  T.  Hall,  who  have  the  immediate  and  general 
charge  of  the  properties.  Their  expert  knowledge 
and  valuable  assistance  are  freely  given,  and  are,  in 
fact,  indispensable,  since  the  library  has  no  available 
itemized  list  of-  its  almost  innumerable  collections 
of  books,  documents  and  manuscripts,  printed  and 
unprinted,  and  its  great  assortment  of  articles  kept 
for  observations  and  instruction. 

The  record  of  the  accomplishments  of  the  Maine 
Historical  Society  from  the  foundation  to  the  pres- 
ent time  is  impressive.  It  is,  in  principal  perspec- 
tive, a  tale  of  individual  initiative  and  loyal  earnest- 
ness for  public  service.  The  work  has  been  done 
with  painfully  stinted  means,  and  perhaps,  unfortu- 
nately, it  has  been  wrought  with  such  modesty  and 
absence  of  ostentation  that  the  general  public  have 
but  little  knowledge  of  the  contents  of  its  treasure 
house,  or  of  the  unrequited  labors  of  those  who  have 
assembled  here  so  much  of  the  record  of  past  human 

198 


experience  for  its  present  helpful  value  and  for  its 
permanent  use  in  illuminating  the  path  of  future 
progress. 


199 


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